While it wasn't a match for the ages, the chanting from the Santiago Bernabéu was familiar. After a long wait, Jude Bellingham once again stood before the home supporters with his arms outstretched, listening to the fans' singing of Hey Jude. Following a lengthy layoff and uncertainty about his position, he scored his opening strike of the season, eventually securing a narrow win for Real Madrid over a Juventus side that made them work hard. “It was a tough battle,” stated the Belgian goalkeeper.
Key Saves Ensure the Victory
Courtois knew better than anyone, having to rescue a clear chance from Dušan Vlahović and produce another decisive stop from the French midfielder in the dying moments. The win leaves Madrid on nine points and the opposition team below the cut. At the end of a match with more shots than fluid football, the visiting coach may reflect on a decent start, with those saves representing a wasted moment around the closing stages; the team's reality though presents concerning reading.
“A side from Italy in trouble is doubly threatening,” the Madrid coach had warned beforehand.
The Turin-based club, which hadn’t won since last month, did cause Madrid problems at the start and once more near the end. Madrid commanded the ball, 66%-34%, but Juventus threatened on the break, particularly with Pierre Kalulu running and Vlahović combining, firing off 12 shots compared to the home side's twenty-seven.
Promising Start for Visitors
The visitors began brightly, certainly. After just three minutes, they thought they were ahead, the forward somewhat unfortunate to be penalized for pulling Éder Militão. Shortly after, the Madrid defender had to intervene ahead of him when the wing-back dashed clear on the right flank. And three minutes after that, the American midfielder's shot was pushed wide.
What followed, from the defender's drive, was a even better save. Fifteen minutes had passed. However, quickly the visitors' impetus had faded too. Madrid assumed command. Largely it was all a bit functional, though, and the top chances came to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who wouldn’t be Alonso’s striker of choice. Two were headed over, a third one deflected wide; an additional chance with the head was wasted by the center-back.
Turkish Talent Impresses
The best moments came from Arda Güler. Güler, whose football was the nearest thing there was to fluidity, was always involved. His neat stop and turn saw him deliver to the back post for the Englishman.
Little was seen of Kylian Mbappé early on, but when he finally emerged it was the nearest Madrid got to a goal. Initially his attempt was denied by Michele Di Gregorio, who would make several stops. Next some lovely fast footwork saw him evade the full-back twice until he tumbled to the turf and laid off to his teammate to blast over.
Second-Half Drama
The Brazilian threw himself to halt Kalulu at the outset of the second period, and then came the customary Courtois rescue when unexpectedly the attacker was away. The “inadvertent pass” had been remarkable, with Lloyd Kelly cutting out a pass inside his own penalty box and the sphere deflecting from the instep of his boot directly through the middle to beyond the halfway line. Sprinting after it, ample room opening, Vlahović outpaced Militão, holding him off and heading into the box where the keeper made the stop.
Then what tends to happen occurred, the save compensated for by the goal that follows it. A flash from Vinícius Júnior set up it, working himself enough space amid multiple defenders to unleash a low, left-footed shot which hit the upright. Lurking in that striker’s role was the goalscorer. The breakthrough found, Madrid ought to have sealed the game, the Frenchman stopped by Di Gregorio and the Uruguayan seeing his half-volley blocked by Gatti. Subsequently the Juventus goalkeeper made a brilliant double stop from the forward and Brahim Díaz.
There were more scares: as the match was slipping away, the defender had to make a incredible last-ditch tackle as Madrid were exposed and at the mercy of Loïs Openda unmarked in the penalty box. Then in the final seconds Courtois flew in to stop Thuram, his work complete. For Juve, there was no way back, 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 period out and dreaming of that moment, back in the Champions League and against a major opponent. To score a winner, here at home, it’s unbelievable. I was at ease, excellent. To perform was crucial and to net the match-winner benefits the team greatly.”
As for his performance, he continued: “It wasn't that last year was a failure, still 15 goals, fourteen setups, but I know the general feeling was that it was poorer. But I was a contributor to that, how we underperformed last year, there were still positive spells but not the level I aim to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I’ve had my operation, a different coach, he’s got that shape, how we want to play…. You have to learn from it.”
