New-look Real
After the thrashing they endured at the hands of rivals Barcelona, it was clear the side was looking to make amends and made a total of seven squad changes.
Notable were the absences of Sergio Ramos, Keylor Navas, Danilo and Toni Kroos. Into the squad came goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, Pepe, Mateo Kovacic, Isco and Casemiro as it was obvious coach Rafael Benitez wanted to ensure his midfield was strong and able to build up play from the centre of the park.
Modric combined well with Kovacic and Bale with the latter ensuring the tempo and pace of the attacks were intensified yet continued at the same rate. During the match, the visitors were given much more space to work with and thus Ronaldo was given more freedom in the attacking front line. While he scored two, he assisted the others to ensure his side would prevail and take home the three points.
Credit must be given to Casilla who stood up to the challenge and proved strong when needed. The shaky Real defence can be blamed for the concession of the three goals.
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