At this moment, at this time, there is only one thing that can match the terror of the sentence “I have listened to Rosalía’s album five times. I open the thread”, and that is seeing Rayo-Real Madrid play again on the same day, Sunday, and at the same time, at 4.15pm. It was after such a match that Joaquín Sabina proposed to die if his love died, or to kill them both, shouting “I don’t want Sunday afternoon”.
The commentators did what they could. Ivan Zamorano, for example. Zamorano described the arc of Mbappé’s shot, saying that it was Real’s goal (“Real were very close to scoring the first”), just when the replay, mercilessly, showed the ball passing half a kilometer from the post. From the position in which Mbappé shot, among other things, he scored Bam Bam Zamorano one of his most iconic goals with Real Madrid. It was a January Classic at the Bernabéu, Míchel’s recovery on the wing against a clumsy Chapi Ferrer, an elegant change of play, those changes of play that exaggerated the foot with which Míchel put a sweater to the ball so it doesn’t cool high up, and Zamorano receives it on the edge of the area. Look at the Chilean Koeman, he opens up a little and sends a flash that makes the team tremble. Neither arc nor curve: chupinazo and running.
We have to write about the comedies of 1993, yes, there is no other option. Perhaps the most descriptive episode of the Vallecas match occurred when Chavarría, a right back who played a great game (either that, or they released several Chavarrías onto the pitch), slipped with the ball. He was surrounded by three Real Madrid fans who looked at him chivalrously. One almost gives him his hand to lift him, another pulls the grass from his socks and a third shows him the way to the goal, don’t get lost. Often complicated matches in fields like Vallecas, where Real Madrid have played for years, are resolved by winning an unglamorous statistic for which they are not awarded the Ballon d’Or: split balls.
Real Madrid has a problem that they will not be able to solve for the entire season, apart from a crazy purchase in January, namely the protection, distribution and switching on of the lights in the center of the pitch. Camavinga did not receive enough reel there, it is not known years later where it will end up. Tchouameni is extraordinary with a complementary partner by his side. Valverde receives better than he gives. Ceballos is, among those mentioned, the one who does best with the ball, ball possession and clarity. Because then there is Güler.
Let’s talk about Güler. Towards the end of the match he made a brilliant shot in the center of the pitch but was no longer able to manage the following action, overwhelmed by his rival. Güler, at this moment, cannot cover what Modric has covered, despite having apparently similar physiques. With pace, with strength and with presence. Güler raising his head today in Madrid is the brightest light, but asking him to raise it in less than two minutes on both sides of the pitch is impossible. Already in injury time he moved to the side, close to the area, and made the best move of the match. There, near the goal, the rivals are more afraid of fouling him, of putting their leg or body inside, and Güler unleashes chaos. In midfield he is often run over. He has the qualities to be anything, he is pure charm, but Real Madrid have no time, nor capable tutors, to play to test him without consequences.
