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Zidane returned in the most flammable state he is remembered for. His unusual tension reveals the extreme situation in Madrid in emotional and artistic terms. For Huesca, after the seven casualties due to injury, the suspension of Militao and the escape of Odegaard, there are fourteen players left in the first team (follow the game live on As.com). The call remained at 17, with the subsidiaries Altube, Chust and Marvin. It’s only good news for Vinicius, for almost two months the phantom threat of the team. He is still 20 years old and younger than team players like Hugo Duro, Marvin or Altube, which exceptionally sneak into Zidane’s lists, but their price sets him off. Also that Madrid signed Hazard for his position or that Rodrygo, Lucas and Asensio have entered Zidane’s eye.
Since Hazard’s recovery, Vinicius has been very less. First he lost options and then confidence. December 15 was his last league game as holder (his name was registered in the cupbearer of Alcoy). Since then he has not spent half an hour in any meeting, nor has he scored, nor has he attended, nor is he remembered a notable action. A full-blown disappearance. So the game against Huesca, with Hazard, Lucas and Rodrygo injured, is the window through which to sneak in again, especially considering that the Belgian will miss a month. Even Isco, the only remaining competitor, got out of the car due to back discomfort, although he was seen training normally in the images served by Madrid.
Ramos’ caution
Nor is Ramos on time. The data portrays the relevance of the captain, whose renewal continues in the Arctic: they have missed ten games in the course and Madrid have lost half of them. For four years I had not accumulated so many absences. Months after finishing his contract, he has become exceptionally cautious. So, with Militao sanctioned, Nacho may have to play, who has only been training for three after more than two weeks off due to COVID. Carvajal is also still out, which will give Odriozola the opportunity to play his fourth consecutive game when between September and mid-January he had only had 57 minutes.
Varane and Nacho, during the last Madrid training session.
Realmadrid.com
Madrid is further away from the title now than from the drama. The third day begins, with Villarreal, fifth, five points away (and one more game). That reminds him that there is life beyond Atalanta. The Huesca, on the other hand, tries to shake off the depression of the bottom. He has been there since 2021 began, but Pacheta’s arrival has given him a first boost. He did not win with Michel until mid-December, but the incorporation of the new coach has given him four points in the last three games.
No gunpowder
Pacheta has brought an optimistic speech (“We don’t have the points we deserve”, “Nobody descends in January”, “Have a passion for studying and you will pass”), a drawing with three centrals and a certain air of rupture: from Michel’s last line-up to the last of Burgos, only five players have repeated. In addition, he recovers props like Sandro, with whom he had not been able to count until now, or Ontiveros, after his sanction has been completed. And if you look up, you see salvation within a match shot. Vavro, the only winter signing, is not yet ready.
Until now, Huesca has been a team with better data than results, a victim mainly of two sins: the lack of gunpowder and the bad defense of the set pieces. He does not even reach a goal per game with an average of ten shots, record of the equatorial teams of the table, and They have scored more goals than anyone else in set-ups: 12. Pacheta seems to bring another less pretentious plan than Michel’s. In fact, his ball possession rate has dropped five points (from 49% to 44%) in the last two games and, interestingly, he has not lost any of them. He has the faith that Madrid is beginning to lack and that equates a lot a match between the two poles of the League.
