A new LaLiga match day has just ended. Real Madrid and Girona, who remain at the top of the standings, were held to draws by Real Sociedad and Atlético de Madrid. Barça continue their good run after Xavi‘s resignation and Athletic Club solidify themselves as candidates for the Champions League. In the red zone, Cádiz slow down after a draw, while Celta and Sevilla obtained important victories in Pamplona and Vallecas. Here we go with a new edition of LaLiga Overtime.
LaLiga Overtime – Match Day #23:
Ancelotti has a diamond in Brahim:
The Madrid derby was chaotic for Real Madrid. Vinícius took part in the warm-up but could not be part of the lineup due to cervical problems. Joselu seemed to be the right pick to replace him, but Ancelotti chose to give Brahim Díaz a shot. The offensive midfielder, who was not trusted by the Italian at the beginning of the season, has emerged as an important player in the rotation of ‘the Merengues’.
In the duel against Atlético de Madrid, the Spanish-Moroccan player was the reference of Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu. He managed to score the opening goal in the clash between both of the Madrid teams during a turmoil inside the box.
But the play of the match came in the second half. A nutmeg on Hermoso, a cut back to dribble past Witsel and a shot that missed the goal. It would have been the finishing touch to Brahim’s exhibition. Afterwards, he would be substituted while surrounded by a standing ovation of the ‘madridista’ temple, and the rest would be history.
Luca de la Torre earns his octopus:
On Sunday afternoon, Celta de Vigo achieved a victory with limited resources. They presented a lineup full of defensive players (only De La Torre and Larsen can be considered attackers) and an effectiveness never seen before this season. The Vigo side fired five shots on targer, three of which were goals, allowing Rafa Benitez‘s pupils to take over El Sadar and move three points clear of the relegation spots.
A titanic victory that had Luca de la Torre as its protagonist. The American had a magnificent match, registering a goal and an assist. Benítez has insisted on him stepping into the box more often, and he has done just that. He has managed five goal contributions (three goals and two assists) in the last five fixtures.
As usual for Luca, after Celta won the match he had a delicious octopus ‘tapa’. A more than well deserved dish for Luca de la Torre, who also deserved a mention in this week’s edition of LaLiga Overtime.
Without Bryan Zaragoza, but with a lot of pride:
Granada has suffered a tough week. Bryan Zaragoza, the main star of the team and an academy player, betrayed all the fans of the Nuevo Los Cármenes. The winger had an agreement to join Bayern Munich next season because he wanted to try to save ‘his’ Granada, but after Coman‘s injury and the interest of the Bavarians to bring him in now, Bryan did not hesitate to leave Granada behind.
A team that was practically fatally wounded, six points deep in relegation positions. In addition, they received the visit of Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, who are in the race to qualify for European competitions. As if that was not enough, the Nasrid side were down one man after just 21 minutes. But, far from surrendering, Granada showed a level of determination that they had not displayed for many fixtures.
A goal by Bruno Méndez gave Granada hope, although the match would end in a draw. A point that may seem like too little compared to the rest of results, but proves that Granada with or without Bryan Zaragoza, will not give up.
Translated by Nuño Alonso.
Main image: Edit by Pablo Benítez.
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