It may not have been a classic encounter, the roar from the Santiago Bernabéu was familiar. Having been absent for some time, Jude Bellingham finally found himself before the south end with his arms wide open, basking in the fans' singing of his anthem. After a shoulder injury and questions about his role, he netted his opening strike of the season, eventually securing a narrow win for Real Madrid over a Juventus side that made them work hard. “We had to sweat for it,” stated Thibaut Courtois.
Key Saves Ensure the Win
Courtois knew better than anyone, having to rescue a one-on-one from Dušan Vlahović and produce another crucial save from Khéphren Thuram in the dying moments. The win puts Madrid on nine points and Igor Tudor’s team outside the qualifying spots. After a match with more shots than fluid football, the visiting coach may reflect on a decent start, with those saves representing a missed chance around the closing stages; the team's reality however makes for worrying statistics.
“An Italian team in difficulty is twice as dangerous,” Xabi Alonso had warned beforehand.
Juventus, who hadn’t won since September, posed Madrid problems at the beginning and again near the end. Madrid commanded the ball, with a significant advantage, but Juventus threatened on the break, especially with Pierre Kalulu running and Vlahović combining, firing off a dozen attempts compared to the home side's twenty-seven.
Strong Opening for Away Side
They had started well, certainly. After just three minutes, they thought they were in front, the forward somewhat unlucky to be called for pulling Éder Militão. Three minutes later, Raúl Asencio had to intervene ahead of Vlahović when the wing-back dashed clear on the right flank. And three minutes after that, the American midfielder's shot was pushed wide.
What followed, from the defender's powerful strike, was a more impressive stop. Fifteen minutes had passed. That said, quickly the visitors' impetus had dissipated as well. Madrid assumed command. Mostly it was all a bit functional, however, and the top chances fell to the French midfielder, who wouldn’t be the coach's preferred forward. Two were off target, a third one took a deflection; an additional chance with the head was missed by the center-back.
Turkish Talent Impresses
Most creative play were provided by Arda Güler. Güler, whose football was the closest there was to smooth attacking, was always involved. His clever control and spin saw him deliver to the back post for Bellingham.
Little was seen of Kylian Mbappé early on, but when he finally emerged it was the nearest Madrid came to scoring. Initially his shot was denied by the Juventus keeper, who would make eight saves. Then some exquisite dribbling saw him evade the full-back repeatedly until he went down to the turf and set up Militão to blast over.
Second-Half Drama
Militão dived to halt Kalulu at the outset of the second period, and then came the customary save from the keeper when unexpectedly Vlahović was through. The “inadvertent pass” had been remarkable, with Lloyd Kelly cutting out a ball inside his own penalty box and the sphere deflecting from the instep of his foot directly through the middle to beyond the center circle. Sprinting after it, huge space appearing, Vlahović raced Militão, holding him off and advancing into the area where Courtois made the stop.
Then what tends to happen occurred, the save compensated for by the goal that follows it. A flash from Vinícius Júnior set up it, working himself enough room amid four men to unleash a driven effort which hit the upright. Positioned in that striker’s role was the goalscorer. The breakthrough found, Madrid ought to have sealed the game, the Frenchman stopped by the keeper and the Uruguayan seeing his half-volley blocked by Gatti. Then the Juventus goalkeeper made a brilliant double stop from the forward and Brahim Díaz.
There were more scares: as the game was drawing to a close, the defender had to make a incredible last-ditch tackle as Madrid were exposed and at the mercy of the substitute momentarily alone in the area. Then in the dying moments Courtois flew in to deny the midfielder, his work complete. For the visitors, there was no route to a comeback, Bellingham’s first of the season the final of the encounter.
“I'm overjoyed, a while now since I’ve scored, a lot of time out and dreaming of that instant, returning in the elite competition and against a major opponent. To score a winner, in our stadium, it’s incredible. I felt comfortable, really good. To perform was important and to score the winning goal helps the team a lot.”
As for his performance, he added: “I didn’t think last year was a failure, with 15 goals, fourteen setups, but I know the perception was that it was poorer. But I was a part of that, how we didn’t play as well last year, there were still good moments but not the standard I want to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a different coach, he’s got that system, how we intend to play…. You have to take lessons.”
