It may not have been a classic encounter, the chanting from the Santiago Bernabéu was unmistakable. After a long wait, Jude Bellingham once again found himself before the south end with his arms wide open, listening to the crowd's rendition of his anthem. Following a shoulder injury and uncertainty about his role, he netted his opening strike of the campaign, eventually delivering a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid over a Italian opponent that made them work hard. “It was a tough battle,” stated Thibaut Courtois.
Key Saves Secure the Win
The shot-stopper understood perfectly well, having to save a clear chance from the Serbian striker and produce another decisive stop from Khéphren Thuram in the final minute. This result leaves Madrid on nine points and the opposition team below the cut. After a game with more shots than fluid football, the visiting coach may reflect on a promising opening, with those opportunities representing a missed chance around the 85-minute mark; their current situation however makes for worrying statistics.
“An Italian team in trouble is twice as dangerous,” the Madrid coach had warned beforehand.
Juventus, which hadn’t won since last month, posed Madrid problems at the start and once more near the end. Madrid commanded possession, 66%-34%, but Juventus threatened on the break, especially with the French defender surging forward and the striker linking up, managing a dozen attempts compared to the home side's twenty-seven.
Promising Start for Visitors
They had started well, certainly. Within three minutes, they believed they were in front, Vlahović a little unfortunate to be penalized for holding Éder Militão. Three minutes later, Raúl Asencio had to slide in front of him when the wing-back broke free on the right flank. And soon after, the American midfielder's shot was pushed wide.
Next, from Federico Gatti's powerful strike, was a more impressive save. Fifteen minutes had gone. That said, quickly the Italians' momentum had faded too. Madrid took control. Mostly it was all a bit functional, however, and the three best opportunities came to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is not Alonso’s striker of choice. Two were off target, a third took a deflection; an additional headed opportunity was missed by Militão.
Guler Shines
Most creative play came from the young Turk. The Turk, whose play was the nearest thing there was to smooth attacking, was constantly in the action. His neat stop and turn saw him deliver to the far post for Bellingham.
Little was seen of Kylian Mbappé yet, but when he finally emerged it was the nearest Madrid came to scoring. First his attempt was stopped by the Juventus keeper, who would produce several stops. Then some lovely fast footwork saw him evade the full-back twice until he tumbled to the ground and set up Militão to fire over.
Second-Half Drama
Militão threw himself to stop the runner at the start of the second half, and then came the customary save from the keeper when suddenly the attacker was away. The “assist” had been remarkable, with the defender intercepting a ball inside his own penalty box and the sphere bouncing from the instep of his boot right through the center to past the halfway line. Sprinting after it, ample room opening, Vlahović raced Militão, holding him off and advancing into the area where Courtois made the stop.
Then what tends to happen happened, the stop made good by the goal that follows it. A burst from Vinícius Júnior set up it, creating enough space amid four men to release a low, left-footed shot which struck the post. Positioned in that striker’s role was Bellingham. The breakthrough found, Madrid ought to have sealed the game, the Frenchman stopped by the keeper and the Uruguayan seeing his volley deflected by the defender. Subsequently Di Gregorio made a brilliant double stop from Mbappé and Brahim Díaz.
There were more scares: as the match was drawing to a close, the defender had to make a incredible last-ditch tackle as Madrid were opened up and at the mercy of Loïs Openda unmarked in the area. Finally in the dying moments the Madrid keeper flew in to stop Thuram, his work done. For the visitors, there was no route to a comeback, the opening goal of the season the final of the match.
“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a lot of time out and dreaming of that instant, returning in the elite competition and against a big team. To get the decisive goal, here at home, it’s unbelievable. I felt comfortable, excellent. To perform was important and to score the winning goal benefits the team greatly.”
As for his form, he continued: “I didn’t think last year was a disaster, with 15 goals, fourteen setups, but I understand the general feeling was that it was worse. But I was a contributor to that, how we underperformed last year, there were nonetheless good moments but not the standard I want to play at, not the caliber like the first year. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a different coach, he’s got that system, how we want to play…. You have to learn from it.”
