BarcelonaThere will be a party at the Cibeles: the 2021-22 League is white. Real Madrid did not miss the first match ball which he had and added his 35th First Division trophy. Carlo Ancelotti’s men had enough to add a point in the last five games, but they went to work and ended up beating a Spaniard who dominated but did not know how to hurt a more effective Madrid (4-0) . Big party at the Santiago Bernabeu four days before receiving Manchester City in the return leg of the Champions League semi-finals. For 15 years, since 2007, the white fans have not been able to celebrate a league title in situ in white light. The last league won by Real Madrid, in 2020, was resolved without an audience in the stands due to the pandemic. And the previous one, that of 2017, came after a victory in La Rosaleda.
This is the third league title won by the white team in the last decade of Barça’s dominance: five of the last ten championships have been for Barça, while the other two have been won by Atlético de Madrid. With the League won this year, Madrid widens the gap in terms of leagues with Barça (35 of the whites for 26 of the Barça club) and draws 97 official titles in terms of the overall record. Carlo Ancelotti’s men could be ahead in this symbolic fight if they manage to win the Champions League this season. For the latter, however, they need to turn the 4-3 win at the Etihad Stadium upside down first and then prevail over the winner of the other semi-final in a hypothetical final in Paris on 28 May.
Leaders from day 3
Real Madrid has been, without a doubt, the great dominator of this League. It is the team that has accumulated more victories and fewer defeats, in addition to the top scorer and the second lowest scorer (they have only received one more goal than Sevilla). The whites, who only stopped in first place on the second day, after a draw against Levante, have led the championship since day 3. Since then, no team has been able to overshadow them. An overwhelming domain from start to finish by a regular and reliable set. So far this season he has only suffered three defeats in the league: against Espanyol (2-1), Getafe (1-0) and Barça (0-4). Not only has Madrid not failed in the face of the most modest, but it has also been relentless with the greats: it has added 12 of the 15 points played against Sevilla, Barça and Atletico Madrid next week. corridor to the Metropolitan Wanda. At the end of the first round, in fact, they were already 18 points ahead of Barça, 17 behind Atlético and 7 behind Sevilla.
The 2021-22 League is explained, above all, through three proper names. The first, Carlo Ancelotti, who returned last summer to replace Zinedine Zidane and has managed to give the white team a great solidity. At the age of 62, the Italian coach has achieved an unprecedented goal in the world of football: to become the first coach in history to win the five major European leagues. He started this path with Milan reaching Serie A 2003-04; and followed with Chelsea (won the Premier League 2009-10), PSG (Ligue 1 2012-13), Bayern Munich (2016-17) and finally Real Madrid (2021-22).
Whites have been a pretty decisive set in both areas. Courtois (29 goals conceded in 33 games) has been one of the most decisive goalkeepers in the league, if not the most. In the rival area, Benzema has done more than enough merit (25 goals and 11 assists) to have tied both the Pitxitxi trophy and the best player in this league, without any discussion. Vinicius’ final burst (14 goals and 11 assists), the talent of an indefatigable Modric and the defensive leadership of the newcomer Alaba and the established Militao are some of the other keys to a four-match league.
The parakeet curse extends at the Bernabeu
Espanyol, who had the opportunity to postpone a celebration sung for a few days after Barça’s unexpected setbacks against Cádiz and Rayo Vallecano, ended up being a stone’s throw away at the white party. Vicente Moreno’s men have extended their curse at the Santiago Bernabéu after a game they started dominating and ended in internal disputes.
The white-and-blues have managed to generate as many chances as the white team, but every time they approached the opponent’s goal it was an exercise in impotence: between deflected shots and interventions by Courtois, those of Vicente Moreno have been denied. facing the goal. Quite the opposite of Real Madrid, who without forcing the machine have been giving away goals to their fans. Two in the first part, by Rodrygo, and two more in the second part, by Asensio and Benzema.
Espanyol did not appear in a second half that could have complicated the internal health of the locker room: Vicente Moreno ended up reprimanding RDT for some action he did not like, grabbing him by the chest, while some teammates charged against Aleix Vidal not to go down to defend in one of the white goals and, this one, has started them to knead. Espanyol, defeated and without self-love, has been the umpteenth victim of a ruthless Madrid that has been bravely liked.
