Ancelotti had to pull Modric

Ancelotti already announced after the victory against Eintracht that for the league debut there would be changes and so it was. Leaving aside the entry of Lucas Vázquez, a natural substitute, for the injured Carvajal, he made four non-obligatory changes: Nacho and Rüdiger as new central defenders and Tchouameni and Camavinga in the middle for rest of Modric and Casemiro. At the top, he kept Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius, an attacking trio that proposes a Madrid with variable geometry, 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. With that and two points won in advance thanks to Rayo’s draw at the Camp Nou, the champion debuted at the Power Horse, before Mediterranean Stadium.

That is what Almería confronted with their promotion team, because, lacking miraculous levers, they have not yet been able to register their reinforcements, but with Sadiq and Ramazani as a threat above. And it didn’t take long for Ramazani to score, chasing down a great pass from Eguaras that caught Rüdiger in the wrong position. Madrid started uphill, and, although they reacted briskly, until the break everything went to corners. He served up to twelve in the first half, in which Camavinga and Tchouameni did not make the starters forget and Benzema did not walk well. Nacho, Kroos, Vinicius, Valverde and Lucas Vázquez complied, but that was not enough.

So Modric came out, and soon Hazard, to strengthen the attack. The sacrificed were Tchouameni and Camavinga. The improvement brought the tie in a rampage by Vinicius, enormous as always, which ended in a goal by Lucas Vázquez. Already exhausted and retired Sadiq and Ramazani, Madrid capitalized on their superiority with an imposing free kick from Alaba, as soon as Mendy appeared. With the game won, Vinicius and Kroos rested for Ceballos and Casemiro to come out and the game went into a swing that was not without scares for Courtois. Three points for Madrid, plus the two that Barça lost. But Rüdiger, Camavinga and Tchouameni left doubts.