Well, were you really expecting two perfect Real Madrid performances in a row? This is simply not how Madrid do things. They harness their energies, take as much pride in the ugly as the beautiful, do the next thing that is required of them. So after the evisceration of Girona came the last stand against RB Leipzig: a gruff, grizzled win in which they were forced to spend long periods defending, despite not really having many defenders to speak of.
Carlo Ancelotti called it a “collective job”, albeit one elevated by a single moment of grace. Brahim Díaz started this game as a replacement for the injured Jude Bellingham and ended it on the sidelines after sustaining an injury of his own. In between he produced the game’s only goal three minutes into the second half, a brilliant effort, and one that has given Madrid a decisive advantage going into the second leg at the Bernabéu.
