Real Madrid vs Viktoria Plzen: 5 Talking Points from the game
Julen Lopetegui selected a very strong Real Madrid line-up to begin the game with, and Viktoria Plzen's team was overwhelmed by the occasion. They looked like a fish out of water for most of the game until they finally pulled one back in the last quarter of the match and really applied pressure on our diminished backline.
Though Varane would be grateful for the rest before El Clasico coming up this weekend, the sight of an injured Marcelo limping off the pitch at the death was disturbing to see considering he looks the best attacking outlet at the club right now, which is an absolute shame, but sadly is justified by the way things are in the club at this moment.
Missing both him and Lionel Messi has robbed both the teams of extremely crucial attacking outlets (Messi more so than Marcelo but whatever), but football can be cruel.
Benzema scored early on from a peach of a cross by Lucas Vasquez, after Sergio Ramos had a chance come off the post in the fifth minute. The visitors missed big chances in the 11th and 30th minute through Milan Pertzela and David Limbersky, which they really should have scored as Real looked extremely shaky whilst shifting from attack to defence, leaving too many gaps to run into.
Lucas Vasquez while providing a brilliant outlet at the right could not cover his defensive zone and Viktoria attacked down his flank the most whenever they could with only two of their attacks coming down the right flank. Real Madrid had two goals on the night disallowed for offside, and Isco missed an absolute sitter when the keeper passed the ball directly in his feet and he chipped it wide.
The visitors pulled back with Hrosovsky in the 78th minute and it looked game on from that moment until then but Madrid pulled through with a victory despite worrying signs. The victory was deserved but the discrepancies at the back are truly worrying, more so now that Marcelo is injured and probably ruled out of the Clasico with the unexperienced Regulation as his only backup. Here are my observations from the game.
#1 Viktoria Plzen could have come away with a victory
Real Madrid started with Lucas Vasquez and Nacho in the backline along with Ramos and Marcelo and whilst that defence looks solid enough to defend against an attack like Viktoria, Vasquez is not a right back, just a tenacious right winger, and while his attacking play was good, his defence left a lot to be desired.
Viktoria had a handful of clear-cut chances which had they taken would have changed the complexion of the match and made things very dire for the current holders. The visitor's defence should be grateful for the three points, and things are only getting worse for Julen Lopetegui as having Carvajal on the sidelines was bad, but having Marcelo join him there (again!!!) is a major problem that he wishes he didn't have before his most important match as a manager.
Odriozola is brilliant and was one of the best right backs behind only Carvajal and Sergi Roberto in the league, and it could be a brilliant opportunity for him to step up and etch his name in club folklore if given the opportunity by the coach.