While it wasn't a classic encounter, the roar from the Madrid's home stadium was familiar. After a long wait, Jude Bellingham once again stood before the home supporters with his arms outstretched, listening to the crowd's singing of Hey Jude. After a lengthy layoff and questions about his role, he netted his opening strike of the season, ultimately securing a narrow win for Real Madrid over a Juventus side that made them work hard. “We had to sweat for it,” stated the Belgian goalkeeper.
Key Saves Ensure the Victory
The shot-stopper knew perfectly well, having to rescue a clear chance from the Serbian striker and make another decisive save from Khéphren Thuram in the dying moments. The win puts Madrid on a strong tally and Igor Tudor’s team outside the qualifying spots. At the end of a game with plenty of attempts but little elegance, the visiting coach may reflect on a promising opening, with those saves representing a missed chance around the closing stages; the team's reality though presents concerning reading.
“A side from Italy in difficulty is twice as dangerous,” Xabi Alonso had remarked beforehand.
The Turin-based club, which hadn’t won since last month, posed Madrid issues at the start and once more near the end. Madrid dominated the ball, 66%-34%, but Juventus threatened on the counter, especially with the French defender surging forward and the striker linking up, managing a dozen attempts compared to the home side's twenty-seven.
Strong Opening for Away Side
They had started well, without a doubt. After just three minutes, they thought they were in front, Vlahović a little unlucky to be called for pulling Éder Militão. Shortly after, Raúl Asencio had to slide in front of Vlahović when Kalulu broke free on the right. And three minutes after that, the American midfielder's effort was deflected past the post.
What followed, from the defender's drive, was a even better stop. A quarter of an hour had passed. However, soon the visitors' impetus had dissipated too. Madrid took control. Mostly it was all a bit functional, though, and the top chances fell to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is not Alonso’s striker of choice. A couple were off target, a third took a deflection; an additional headed opportunity was wasted by Militão.
Guler Shines
Most creative play came from the young Turk. The Turk, whose football was the closest there was to fluidity, was constantly in the action. His neat stop and turn saw him clip to the far post for the Englishman.
Little was seen of Kylian Mbappé early on, but when he did appear it was the closest Madrid got to scoring. First his attempt was stopped by Michele Di Gregorio, who would produce eight saves. Then some lovely fast footwork saw him turn the full-back twice until he tumbled to the turf and laid off to his teammate to fire over.
Late Tension
The Brazilian threw himself to stop Kalulu at the outset of the second period, and then came the regulation 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 area and the sphere deflecting from the inside of his boot directly through the center to past the halfway line. Racing after it, ample room appearing, Vlahović outpaced Militão, using his strength and heading into the area where Courtois made the stop.
Then the usual pattern occurred, the stop made good by the score that follows it. A flash from the Brazilian winger set up it, creating enough space amid four men to release a low, left-footed shot which hit the post. Lurking in that forward position was the goalscorer. With the deadlock broken, Madrid ought to have sealed the game, Mbappé stopped by the keeper and the Uruguayan seeing his half-volley blocked by Gatti. Subsequently Di Gregorio made a brilliant double stop from Mbappé and Brahim Díaz.
It was not the only one: as the game was slipping away, Raúl Asencio had to make a stunning sliding block as Madrid were opened up and at the risk of Loïs Openda unmarked in the area. Then in the dying moments the Madrid keeper flew in to stop Thuram, his work done. For the visitors, there was no way back, the opening goal of the season the final of the encounter.
“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a lot of time out and thinking of that instant, back in the elite competition and against a major opponent. To get the decisive goal, in our stadium, it’s unbelievable. I was at ease, excellent. To play well was important and to score the winning goal benefits the team a lot.”
As for his form, he added: “It wasn't that last year was a disaster, with fifteen strikes, fourteen setups, but I know the general feeling was that it was worse. But I was a part of that, how we underperformed last year, there were nonetheless good moments but not the level I aim to play at, not the level like the debut season. Now I’ve had my operation, a different coach, he’s got that system, how we want to play…. You have to take lessons.”
