Alvara Morata’s header in the dying moments helped Real Madrid snatch a fortunate 2-1 home victory over Sporting CP at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Just as it looked like Sporting would leave Madrid with all three points, the hosts scored two goals in the final six minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kick in the 89th minute – his third in three games against his former club – cancelled out Bruno César’s 48th minute opener, while Morata headed home past Rui Patricio to give the defending champions a perfect start in defence of their European crown.
Madrid sit second in Group F behind Borussia Dortmund, after the Germans romped Legia Warszawa 6-0.
What a GOAL !!! What a free-kick !!!#HalaMadrid #Cristiano #Ronaldo #ChampionsLeague #RMASPO #Madrid pic.twitter.com/T1gYWGbueZ
— Hamza Azhar (@M_HamzaAzhar) September 14, 2016
Madrid were… lucky
The result will appear as a routine victory for Madrid, notwithstanding the late drama.
A closer inspection of the match, shows Sporting matched the Spanish giants for 75 minutes. Carvalho and Silva bossed the midfield, and Coates and Semedo kept Bale, Ronaldo and Benzema quiet for the most part.
Sporting conceded late as a result of fatigue and lapses in concentration. A lazy foul led to Ronaldo’s equalising free kick, while Morata’s goal should never have eventuated. Lazar Markovic was slow to block the cross and Sporting’s centre-halves were too far apart for the first time in the game, for which they were punished.
https://twitter.com/IscoOverMessi/status/776160059822931969
Madrid struggle with Sporting’s high line
Leading up to the match, many assumed Sporting would sit back and absorb pressure — such is the case with most teams visiting the Bernabéu.
Sporting manager Jorge Jesus, however, should be praised for audaciously playing a high line. This, combined with the medium pressing, almost paid immediate dividends as César’s second-minute strike flashed just wide.
A high line is not necessarily the blueprint to nullifying Madrid — after all, they could have exposed Sporting’s high line were it not for their over-hit passes and lack of composure in the final third. It simply shows how teams like Madrid are forced to adapt when confronted by proactive defending.
Sporting cope through midfield overload
Jesus proved his tactical nous by changing Sporting’s formation twenty minutes into the game. He changed from a 4-2-2-2 — effectively a 4-4-2 — to a 4-5-1 to overload the midfield and block Modric, Kroos and Casemiro’s passing lanes. This proved vital for the Lisbon outfit, as thereafter Madrid’s midfield three resorted to sideways passing or moving the ball out wide to Marcelo and Carvajal, something Sporting dealt with well.
Sporting’s overloading of the midfield also reduced the frequency of Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo receiving possession in dangerous positions. Ronaldo often dropped deep and drifted inside, while Bale was ineffective as cutting back onto his left foot led him into traffic.
Not a great day for Zidane
Blame must also be directed towards Zinedine Zidane for this loss. With his team 1-0 down at home with 20 minutes remaining, his decision to keep Toni Kroos on the field was baffling. The box-to-box midfielder had a decent game, however his lack of creativity was evident once Sporting dropped back to protect their lead.
Zidane has stated his reservations about Rodríguez in the past, however his introduction in the 80th minutes injected new life into Los Merengues’ attack. The crafty No.10 linked up well with Modric and offered Madrid a creative outlet that was lacking with Kroos.
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