The first leg of this year’s Champions League Madrid derby didn’t disappoint. All three goals at Santiago Bernabeu last Wednesday were of the highest quality.
Rodrygo’s rocket just four minutes into a compelling contest came after the Brazilian had latched onto a sublime ball in behind Javi Galan from the fantastic Fede Valverde, while Brahim Diaz did wonderfully well to find some space for himself in a crowded penalty area before whipping home a second-half winner for Real.
It was the goal in between, though, that really took the breath away. There appeared to be little danger when Julian Alvarez picked up possession wide on the left-hand side of the Madrid area, particularly as Eduardo Camavinga was close enough to snap at the Argentine’s heels. However, Alvarez managed to power his way past the Frenchman before somehow finding the back of the net with a curling effort from just inside the box that clattered the post on its way in.
It was Alvarez’s only shot of the game and had an expected goals figure of just 0.3 – yet the fact that it ended up beating Thibaut Courtois, one of the world’s greatest goalkeepers, wasn’t that surprising. As Marcos Llorente told Movistar+, “In games like these, the great players appear.” And Alvarez has been proving himself a truly great player over the past few months.
The World Cup winner forced to play a supporting role to Erling Haaland at the Etihad Stadium is now shining on the club game’s grandest stage with Atletico Madrid. One could easily argue, in fact, that there is no more efficient centre-forward in this season’s Champions League…