While it wasn't a match for the ages, the roar from the Santiago Bernabéu was unmistakable. Having been absent for some time, Jude Bellingham once again found himself before the home supporters with his arms wide open, listening to the crowd's rendition of Hey Jude. After a shoulder injury and uncertainty about his role, he scored his opening strike of the season, eventually securing a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid over a Italian opponent that put up a fight. “It was a tough battle,” stated the Belgian goalkeeper.
Decisive Stops Ensure the Victory
Courtois knew better than anyone, having to rescue a clear chance from Dušan Vlahović and produce another decisive stop from Khéphren Thuram in the dying moments. This result leaves Madrid on nine points and the opposition team outside the qualifying spots. After a match with plenty of attempts but little elegance, the Juventus manager may reflect on a promising opening, with those saves representing a wasted moment around the closing stages; the team's reality though makes for concerning reading.
“An Italian team in trouble is doubly threatening,” the Madrid coach had warned beforehand.
Juventus, who hadn’t won since last month, did cause Madrid issues at the beginning and once more near the end. Madrid dominated possession, 66%-34%, but Juventus threatened on the break, especially with Pierre Kalulu surging forward and the striker linking up, firing off 12 shots compared to the hosts' twenty-seven.
Promising Start for Away Side
The visitors began brightly, without a doubt. Within three minutes, they believed they were in front, Vlahović a little unlucky to be called for pulling the Brazilian defender. Three minutes later, Raúl Asencio had to slide ahead of him when the wing-back broke free on the right. And three minutes after that, Weston McKennie's shot was pushed wide.
What followed, from Federico Gatti's powerful strike, was a more impressive stop. A quarter of an hour had gone. However, quickly the Italians' momentum had faded as well. Madrid took control. Largely it was rather mechanical, however, and the three best opportunities came to the French midfielder, who wouldn’t be Alonso’s striker of choice. Two were headed over, a third deflected wide; another headed opportunity was missed by the center-back.
Guler Shines
Most creative play were provided by the young Turk. The Turk, 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 the Englishman.
Little was seen of the French superstar early on, but when he did appear it was the closest Madrid came to scoring. First his shot was denied by the Juventus keeper, who would produce several stops. Then some lovely fast footwork saw him turn the full-back twice until he tumbled to the ground and laid off to his teammate to blast over.
Late Tension
Militão dived to stop the runner at the start of the second half, and then came the customary save from the keeper when unexpectedly Vlahović was through. The “assist” had been quite something, with the defender intercepting a pass inside his own area and the ball bouncing from the inside of his boot directly through the middle to beyond the center circle. Sprinting after it, ample room opening, the striker raced Militão, holding him off and heading into the area where the keeper made the stop.
Next the usual pattern happened, the stop made good by the score that comes after it. A burst from the Brazilian winger set up it, working himself enough space amid four men to release a driven effort which hit the upright. Positioned in that striker’s role was Bellingham. The breakthrough found, Madrid should have finished it, the Frenchman denied by the keeper and the Uruguayan seeing his half-volley deflected by Gatti. Subsequently the Juventus goalkeeper made a brilliant double stop from Mbappé and the attacking midfielder.
There were more scares: as the game was drawing to a close, Raúl Asencio had to make a incredible last-ditch tackle as Madrid were opened up and at the mercy of the substitute momentarily alone in the penalty box. Then in the final seconds the Madrid keeper flew in to stop Thuram, his job done. For the visitors, there was no way back, the opening goal of the campaign the last of the match.
“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a lot of time out and thinking of that moment, back in the elite competition and against a big team. To get the decisive goal, in our stadium, it’s incredible. I felt comfortable, 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 failure, still 15 goals, fourteen setups, but I understand 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 caliber 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 learn from it.”
