Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Monchengladbach: 5 hits and flops as both sides book knockout places | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Borussia Monchengladbach were 90 minutes away from ending Real Madrid's record of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages - 25 years and counting - but Karim Benzema's first-half brace sunk Marco Rose's side on MD6.
Nonetheless, Gladbach have also punched their ticket into the Round of 16 as Group B runners-up after Inter and Shakthar Donetsk played out a frustrating goalless draw in Milan.
Benzema couldn't believe his luck when he opened the scoring for Real Madrid after nine minutes, heading home from close range between two ball-watching Gladbach defenders to convert Lucas Vazquez's cross.
Alassane Plea has seven goals and six assists this term but lacked the composure to level the scoring under pressure from a retreating Sergio Ramos and the onrushing Thibaut Courtois.
His effort trickled wide of the far post and that miss proved decisive as Real Madrid could've made it 4-0 by half-time. Benzema doubled his tally with a similar finish just after the half-hour mark, powering another header beyond a helpless Yann Sommer.
Sommer made five saves, including one to push Luka Modric's goalbound effort onto the far post, as his Gladbach teammates wilted under Real Madrid's sustained periods of creative pressure. He could do nothing to stop the Croatia international from firing into the far corner four minutes later after combining with Benzema, though the emphatic strike was correctly disallowed for offside.
It was 2-0 at half-time and that's how it finished, though Real Madrid pushed for more goals despite sloppy play in possession at times and defensively, giving Gladbach hope of an unlikely comeback.
Plea missed another big chance but thankfully for the Frenchman, he had strayed offside beforehand. Meanwhile, Sommer made big saves to thwart Toni Kroos and Ramos.
The woodwork saved the visitors from a heavy defeat as Benzema and Vazquez were both denied second-half goals.
Gladbach started sluggishly but will be grateful that their off-night doesn't see them drop into the Europa League in 2021.
Without further ado, here's a look at five hits and flops from an eventful night in Madrid:
#5 Flop: Oscar Wendt (Gladbach)
No Gladbach player started particularly well but Oscar Wendt was quickly identified - fairly or otherwise - as the visitors' weak link after looking rather unconvincing in duels against Rodrygo and Vinicius Júnior.
He turned 35 in late October and looked every bit his age as far as decision-making and turn of pace was concerned: being reactive rather than adopting a proactive approach to defending the flanks.
This was probably typified by his role in Benzema's first goal as he was seemingly caught in two minds before sticking out a limp leg to try and throw Vazquez off course as he looked up and fired into the box. Rather than press him into a mistake or attempt a tackle, he let the winger-turned-full-back pick his spot and moments later, they were wheeling away to celebrate an easy opener.
Only Marcus Thuram recorded a worse pass success percentage (62.5%) than the Sweden international, who was wayward in possession (11 completed, 68.8% success), and most of Real Madrid's attacks came down his side of the pitch.
You could argue he didn't get adequate support from a retreating Thuram off-the-ball, but the forward had more defensive contributions (5) than him. He didn't do enough to earn Real Madrid's respect and was duly punished before being unsurprisingly replaced at half-time for a more mobile, younger alternative in Valentino Lazaro.
#4 Hit: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Alongside Casemiro and Toni Kroos as Real Madrid's midfield trio, Luka Modric was predictably classy without the eyecatching statistics to necessarily justify his place over the latter in this list.
Kroos made five key passes, 15/16 accurate long balls, and no starter had more than his 96.8% pass success (90 completed, 108 touches). Besides Florian Neuhaus, Gladbach's midfield was fairly underwhelming throughout so no one from the trident had to do much defensive work.
Modric was given a free-roam role to orchestrate through midfield in ways neither Casemiro nor Kroos rarely try because they can't hold a candle to him in that vein.
The use of his low centre of gravity, spatial awareness and ability to take players on - even at 35 - was critical in the build-up to multiple promising Real Madrid attacks here. The fact that he's been doing it for so long is why many critics have become desensitized to just how difficult a skill it is to master.
Watch the build-up to Real Madrid's second goal again, and you will see how he calmly eliminates a charging Wendt from the equation with a subtle two-touch manoevure then feeds Rodrygo.
He had a brilliant first-half finish chalked off for offside, just minutes after forcing Sommer into an important finger-tip stop to keep the visitors alive. No player completed more successful dribbles (4) and on another night, he'd have walked off the Alfredo di Stefano turf with a well-taken brace to his name.
#3 Flop: Lars Stindl (Gladbach)
Stefan Lainer was poor, with some baffling defensive positioning for both goals. While Plea had a rough night too, both could've been picked. Instead, Gladbach captain Lars Stindl was selected here, having not been noticeable for large periods.
The game's first yellow card came after 88 minutes for second-half sub Denis Zakaria, but Stindl had four fouls and went unpunished before being hooked with five minutes left for RB Leipzig loanee Hannes Wolf.
He had two key passes in a game of seemingly few chances for the visitors, though Real Madrid took their foot off the pedal and were giving away free-kicks, relinquishing possession cheaply for sustained periods to start the second half.
Although things didn't go his way, Thuram was trying and Plea did too. However, Kramer played too safe while Stindl was rather effective on both sides of the pitch.
Defensively, he made one tackle and interception with just 1/9 ground duels won - and was dribbled past on three occasions. He lost possession 11 times and squandered chances to create an opening for Gladbach at a time where they could've taken advantage of Real Madrid's subtle but visible defensive drop-off.
It was perhaps typified by his free-kick delivery after Ferland Mendy's needless foul. There were multiple players piling into the box but he wasted the chance, firing waywardly straight into Courtois' grateful gloves. Then minutes later, he tried a deft backheel but overcooked the pass - immediately moaning at Thuram and Plea for not running, though he'd made the mistake. Disappointing.