It was a winter’s night in Australia to lift the spirits of madridistas, who are restless because with the present crop of players the team failed to win any of the major trophies last season. Today they fired four past Manchester City; we saw a more energetic and more good-humoured Cristiano Ronaldo, Modric suffered a winter of discontent last year but has returned rejuvenated during this present one while Isco demonstrated that there is no better deep-lying forward in this team than him. The malagueño is perfect to play ‘in the hole’, where he can make the most of his vision and speed up or slow down the tempo for those around him.
With Madrid, imagination strikes them before organization. They went into the game with an all-star XI, pending the return of James who, it seems will have the difficult task of filling Isco’s role when he gets back; and playing 4-2-3-1 (almost a 4-4-2 at times). Once again Bale took up his position just behind Benzema, with Isco on the right and Cristiano hugging the left band. During those first 20 minutes Benítez’s team looked ordinary and even a bit disorientated. Keylor Navas came rushing off his line and clattered intoYaya Touré but escaped punishment – no penalty was given; David Silva meanwhile, miscued a shot during one of Ciry’s early advances.
That was how the game panned out up until Bale whipped in an inviting cross from the right which Benzema, met with the most delicate of touches to guide a sublime volley inside the post. Four minutes later, Kroos sent over a cross which breached the entire City defence for Cristiano to fight for with Joe Hart; the Madrid forward arrived first and instinctively flicked the ball past the keeper who backtracked but couldn’t stop the ball crossing the line. Within four minutes, Madrid were now looking a team which was complete and versatile. City’s two novice centre-backs, Jason Denayer, 20, and Cameron Humphreys, just 16, were like lambs to the slaughter.
Once Madrid had found their momentum, Modric and Kroos undertook the task of instructing a side now ordered and coherent and controlled the rest of the match. The Croatian healed the team but his participation came to an end just after he was seen stretching to alleviate his tired muscles. He didn’t return after the break.
We also saw glimpses of the best Cristiano, a lot less downcast and more effervescent. He improved as the game wore on and gifted Isco a goal which was ruled out and just missed another, combining an exquisite stepover with a dinked shot which rolled wide.
Tormented by the score board, City shipped a third from a set-piece – Pepe, heading in from a corner.
Benítez gave Isco more minutes than the rest and he was the player who shone brighest in his deep-lying role. He also served up Madrid’s fourth goal for Cheryshev, who is halfway between emerging from anonymity and carving out a regular place. His position is the same as Bale’s and that is where he will surely end up if Benítez doesn’t bow to politicking.