Real Madrid’s fantastic four consecrate the Ancelotti myth

Clinging to the electricity and devastating punch of its attackers, Real Madrid won its fourth Intercontinental Cup, beating Pachuca this Wednesday and enthroning Carlo Ancelotti as the most successful coach in its glorious history. A pass from Vinicius on the left wing culminated by Mbappé helped the whites break down the Mexican team, spirited at the dawn of the clash but tender and dull against an opponent who showed up in Doha with a sharp fang and sealed the victory in the Qatari capital. a reppoker of titles in the year that ends that had only been achieved in 2017, with Zinedine Zidane at the helm.

With Bellingham as head of operations and an offensive arsenal worthy of the most powerful army in the world, Chamartín’s team reduced the Tuzos’ ardor and stabbed them again at the beginning of the second half. Rodrygo, lethal again in another high-profile match, opened the gap for the fifteen-time king of the Old Continent and Vinicius, taking advantage of a penalty from Idrissi on Lucas Vázquez, sealed a match that consecrated Ancelotti’s position in the white pantheon with another recital of his fantastic four.

With fifteen trophies behind him in 316 matches, one every 21 duels, the transalpine player leaves Miguel Muñoz behind and remains alone in the Olympus of coaches who have coached Real Madrid. Three Champions Leagues, two Club World Cups, three European Super Cups, two Leagues, two King’s Cups, two Spanish Super Cups and one Intercontinental Cup, the only achievement in his record to date, bear witness to the teachings of Carletto, another King Midas of a club that returns from Qatar carrying the number 106 to its crowded showcases. An inexhaustible legend of the nine-time emperor of the world.

The event lent itself to Real Madrid setting up a siege. With that battle plan as a guide, and with Tchouaméni once again embedded in the rearguard, Ancelotti placed two accomplished sappers such as Valverde and Camavinga in the center of the field, in order to support an artillery platoon made up of Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius and Mbappé. The fantastic four, reunited again with the aim of blowing up the trenches of Pachuca.

The European champion ended up blowing them up, fulfilling the planned script after a cold staging in which he conceded three chances to Pachuca, stopped by Courtois. It took a while for Ancelotti’s team to impose its superior hierarchy, largely the result of that low tension that so often accompanies their commitments against lesser rivals. Serious, compact and supportive in their effort, the Hidalgo squad managed to hold off Real Madrid while the fuel lasted, but it was overwhelmed as soon as its tank went into reserve and ended up being torn apart.

Vinicius and Mbappé had threatened with a couple of sprints when a new acceleration from the brand new winner of The Best trophy tore Pachuca apart. Bellingham filtered into space, broke the ‘7’ of the Mexican goalkeeper with a pedal stroke and served behind for Mbappé to shoot at will. It triggered the goal for Real Madrid, who threatened to double the lead immediately with a blow from Mbappé and another from Valverde that did not reach the goal. By then Real Madrid’s wrench was shining, easily loosening the screws of a broken rival who reached half-time gasping.

To the rhythm of Vinicius

Pachuca tried to recover after passing through the dugout and came close to equalizing with a shot from Deossa, who went from being a challenger against Botafogo and Al-Ahly to starting against Real Madrid. But the whites immediately burned the dream of the Mexicans with another flash. Valverde connected with Mbappé, the Frenchman left Rodrygo first and the São Paulo player made his way until he found the necessary space to unleash an unappealable shot into the top corner. The VAR reviewed a possible positional offside by Bellingham, without the Venezuelan Jesús Valenzuela estimating the existence of any interference on the part of the Englishman. The Mexican archer had plenty of field of vision, but he would have needed a catapult to reach Rodrygo’s howitzer.

Pachuca sought to shorten the distance with a cross-shot from Bryan González that forced Courtois to punch it away, but Real Madrid handled itself so sufficiently that Carletto was able to minimize risks. He withdrew Mbappé and Camavinga to provide fresh air with the entry of Brahim and Ceballos, despite the fact that the Tuzos refused to give up.

Salomón Rondón tried his luck, first with a direct free kick that Courtois aborted next to the post and then with an extraordinary header that went close to the top corner, before the final stretch offered plenty of yardage for the white stars to enjoy in a meeting in which Vinicius emerged as MVP and Carletto earned his doctorate for the umpteenth time.