Real Madrid Starting XI

Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Bellingham; Mbappé, Gonzalo, Vinicius 

Levante U.D. Starting XI

Ryan; Toljan, Dela, Matturro, Manu Sánchez; Vencedor, P. Martínez; K. Tunde, Carlos Álvarez, Losada; Etta Eyong.

It has been a turbulent week to say the least for Real Madrid as they face a period of unsteadiness. Both shocking and unexpected news broke Monday afternoon when Real Madrid manager and the club both mutually agreed to part ways. This came off the back of much controversy surrounding the loss to Barcelona in the Supercopa Final on Sunday. Players refused to give Barcelona a guard of honor at the request of Xabi. It was at this moment that it was clear Xabi Alonso had lost the dressing room. 

Millions were wondering who will replace Alonso. Well, it didn’t take long to replace him as Madrid appointed Castilla manager Alvaro Arbeloa, a teammate of Alonso’s both at Liverpool and Real Madrid. 

To the majority, Arbeloa is widely unknown, but to the club, he is special. He began his managerial stint at the Under 14’s side in 2020. From there he moved onto Juvenil A (Under 19s) where he won a treble. He then took the helm at Castilla where he helped develop players to go onto the First Team such as Gonzalo Garcia. While he has success with youth players, he now faces his first true test with a locker room full of world class players. 

Match Notes

There is a lot on the line today for Arbeloa and the Real Madrid fans. Match-week 20 in La Liga play sees Levante coming to the Bernabeu at 14:00pm Saturday afternoon. It has been almost two weeks since Real Madrid last played at home and what a wild two weeks it has been away. A Supercopa final loss to Barcelona in Saudi Arabia with dressing room controversy that ultimately culminated in Xabi Alonso and the club parting ways Monday night. 

Arbeloa absolutely can’t afford to lose today his first game in charge saw the squad losing to La Liga 2 side Albacete. This was an utter embarrassment and not how any manager wants to start their managerial career. Fans are outraged with not only the result, but both the manager and players. As Real Madrid welcomes a struggling Levante side who are 19^th in La Liga currently anything but a win is unacceptable, especially if they look to close in on league leaders Barcelona. 

Can Madrid break down Levante’s shape? It is a slow first half.  Mbappe barely misses a volley in the 33rd minute. Now in the second half the match picks up speed. Mbappe finally delivers with a penalty in the 56th minute. And not far behind is Raul Asencio scoring a goal with a magical header from a corner kick. Mastantuono in the 78th minute tries to take the lead to 3-0, but his shot comes in a little too high, hitting the crossbar.  Three more attempts for a goal proved unsuccessful for Madrid. The whistle blew just before the 95th minute with Madrid clinching the victory 2-0.

Tap In Merchant, Possibly! Results, They Matter!

BANG! That’s what they like to see. Football feeds entertainment and that’s exactly what Jude Bellingham provides quietly on the pitch. 

He might not be the flashiest, but his impact is insurmountable. Florentino Perez is a hound when it comes to scouting talent, and man did he do so when it came to this player. The middle of the field is the most important part. Those that control and create properly make scouting directors’ foam at the mouth. 

Insert Jude Bellingham. A promising young talent rising from the English Leagues, made a strategic move to Borussia Dortmund, a club notoriously known to generate superstars. With great performances and an exceptional impact, his stint at Dortmund led to a blockbuster move to Madrid. 

It didn’t take a few seasons for Jude to leave his mark on the squad; his impact was instant. This was evident in the most recent Champions League fixture for Madrid. On a chilly night underneath the Champions League stars, the lights are always bright. Bellingham while out with injury for quite some time, always comes back to shine on the big stage. 

A highly anticipated matchup with Juventus laid in front of Los Blancos. The Champions League is a special competition for this club, as they have dominated it throughout history. However, the matches against Juventus hold more weight. Whether it is a final in 2016 or a win in the 2017/2018 quarterfinals of the Champions League, Real Madrid has ruled the Italian side as of late. 

Big stage, JUDE is your guy! What started as a sleepy and lackadaisical match ended up being a massive transition back into football for Bellingham.

Through the first half of the match, Juventus looked dominant and insightful. Dusan Vlahovic had clinical chances on goal and one that eclipsed into a massive stop necessary of Thibaut Cortouis’s help.

While Juve looked a quality side, it was Jude Bellingham in his white kit that disrupted the middle of the pitch causing chaos. His ability to find positions in the middle of the pitch creates a headache for any team. This culminated into a severe migraine for the Italian side.

Nothing separated the two sides in the first half, but come the second, Xabi Alonso had to have injected those boys with venom. Real Madrid came out the tunnel and stepped on the pitch with an intensity Madridista fans are used to seeing.

“HEY JUDE!’. Minute 57 let’s talk about it. Piggybacking on the disruption Bellingham was causing throughout the middle of the pitch, the wings opened behind his efforts. Vinicius Jr. and Valverde utilized this to feed the ball into the box or rip shots on goal. With a threatening offensive, finally Vini Jr. came down the flank and sent a ripper of a shot towards goal. BANG, the post rattled an
echo across the stadium. Just when a clinical chance came up short, JUDE, as jeers rang out across the stadium. Bellingham found himself in another great area of the pitch to finish a much-needed goal.

The remaining half of the match saw Real Madrid continually threatening Juventus and Igor Tudor’s job. The whistle finally blew keeping Madrid perfect in Champions League play. What a special player Bellingham is and will continue to be. It wasn’t a blockbuster game, but again Bellingham’s presence on the pitch made a world of difference. If Madridistas are dreaming of a Champions League title this year they shouldn’t dream any longer as Belligol can make it reality.

Juventus Manager (Igor Tudor) 

• “You had two different attacks in the match today that looked very different. What do you need to attack against a more solidified defense?”
  • “We are going to struggle against Real Madrid when playing at the Bernabeu, it is a difficult place to play against a great team. 
• “I want to ask about Vlahovic’s play today with much of the game being played with his back to the goal and defending”
  • “I think he played quite well today and was being pressed for almost 60 yards.” 
• “Could you tell us about the Juve players that asked for a red card against Diaz?”
  • “I do not remember seeing this. I would have to watch the game back.” 

Real Madrid Manager (Xabi Alonso) 

• “Three out of three in the Champions league, what would you say about Courtois being one of the best players on your team”
  • “Courtois helped tremendously in the beginning of the match before the first goal that helped lead to our best minutes the rest of the game. He is excellent and we are happy with the result.” 
• “How do you feel about Arda Guler after today’s game and how he has adapted to the position he is playing.”
  • “I am happy with his progression, but we want more. He is growing and learning well, but there are some mechanics he needs to improve on.” 
• “With the match against Barcelona around the corner, would you say your team is ready and where you want it to be at now?”
  • “We are exactly where we need to be as a team and are looking to continue preparing for the match this weekend with still some things to improve.” 
• “How do you teach Bellingham the balance between playing higher on the pitch and also playing exceptional in the midfield”
  • “We are looking to help him develop as he was great in both areas on the pitch today. He can succeed when playing in tight positions.” 

*END OF INTERVIEW*