Madrid: Real Madrid were ruthless in Vigo last night, storming to an impressive 4-1 win away at Celta Vigo.
The midfield, in particular, looked strong on the night. Luka Modric put on a masterclass, Fede Valverde got on the scoresheet alongside the Croatian, and Aurelien Tchouameni played his part as well.
“They annihilated us,” Celta Vigo attacker Iago Aspas said after the game.
It was Los Blancos’ first game in the post-Casemiro era, and the performance and result allowed for a little bit of calm to come into the dressing room. Prior to the game, there had been questions of how they would manage without the Brazilian.
Even without Casemiro, Real Madrid were physically dominant and imposing, brilliantly winning the ball back time and again in their own half, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.
Celta looked shattered in the second half, unable to keep their energy levels up against a Real Madrid side that came at them relentlessly.
Tchouameni showed what he can bring to the table as well, even in a physical sense, and a particular clash with Fran Beltran stands out in the memory after the game. From there, he ran forward and put Vinicius Junior through on goal.
If Vigo was a test for the new signing, he passed. He had more recoveries than any of his teammates (nine), more interceptions (three), and more clearances as well (four).
Whether it was winning the ball or distributing it, Tchouameni did well and had a lot of intensity to his game.
“As we’ve said before, he’s a player with a very different skillset to Casemiro,” Real Madrid coach Carol Ancelotti said of the midfielder.
“He played well today and he has shown what he shows us in training.
“He has character, he’s good with the ball, and he plays well. The midfield did well and with [Fede] Valverde’s help – he’s always important defensively.”
