How Real Madrid found new life

Ten victories and a draw, anecdotal during the final day at Leganes (2-2). To say that Real Madrid ended the season like a cannonball is an understatement. A final sprint that won everything in its path, starting with a Barcelona team powerless to keep its throne, recovered by the merengue club, which sits on it for the 34th time in its history. It remains to be seen whether the Champions League can also fall into its own hands, with a very perilous round of 16 return on Manchester City this Friday (9 p.m., RMC Sport). However, when La Liga stopped on March 8 on a loss of Madrid on the field of Betis Seville (2-1), no one, no doubt, would have bet on such a show of force at the time of the recovery . To the point of being able to say that confinement was decisive in this quest for the title?

“The construction of the group, you also have to impose it sometimes and that's what Zidane manages to do every year. Even if it means making very strong choices and taking risks. ”

Not for Omar Da Fonseca, the BeIN Sports consultant for La Liga: “We must not take away the merits of this Real team which has been able to afford a renewal with the same players. Often times, I think it's good to change, to bring new blood, but this season's Real has been the perfect counter-example. The Varane, Ramos, Casemiro, Modric, Kroos or Benzema, they have all been playing together for four or five years and between them, the weight of the locker room is very well distributed. " An opinion shared by Pablo Polo, journalist in Marca and specialist of Real: “It is the great victory of Zidane. He brought this aging group to life by making the most of every element, adding to that a feel-good workforce management. ” “He knows how to grow his players like no other,” Da Fonseca said. Do you realize that this season 21 different players have scored for Real. This indicates a real collective strength, but also the science of the coach to know how to get the best of one, then the other. In attack for example, apart from Benzema who was indisputable holder, he put a Rodrygo shot, a Vinicius shot, several Isco shots… He made Valverde go up too. The construction of the group, it is also sometimes necessary to impose it and that is what Zidane manages to do every year. Even if it means making very strong choices and taking risks. ”

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Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the forced break had a beneficial effect on some "old" legs, such as those of Luka Modric who, at 34, seemed clearly on the decline at the start of the season. Before finding a second youth. “There has been so much unknown during this long period of inactivity that it is difficult to measure the precise effects. But it's clear that Modric has returned incredibly well. No one could doubt his skills as a ball handler. There remained the physical dimension. This break certainly did him good. But Zidane was also able to reposition him a little higher on the pitch so that he had less defensive work to do. This was allowed by the dimension taken by Casemiro. Kroos, it's the same. Last season, I felt he was on the decline and I told myself that it would be good for Real to take a more impactful midfield. And then this season, he came back to the top. ”

The silversmith's work of Grégory Dupont

If this midfield which has regained its splendor has allowed Real to shine again, we must not forget the very important physical dimension, thanks to the work, discreet but fundamental, of the Frenchman Grégory Dupont. Preparer for the Blues during the last World Cup and recruited last July by the White House, the latter concocted a program of goldsmith to the players during confinement, which was immediately reflected on the field with a team immediately in the right tone, unlike a stammering Barça. Even if, here again, Da Fonseca sees Zidane's paw in it: “He made his players understand that they should not do certain things just because they had to do it, but because it would really benefit them. . He managed to create a need among his players. For example, when he asks one of his players to run 100 meters, he explains to him why, he makes him understand that these 100 meters will allow him to achieve something. "

Now, if Real has taken on very good colors, will that be enough to overthrow Manchester City, winner in the round of 16 going to the Bernabeu (1-2)? "I believe that if City is at its usual level, that of before confinement with an impressive energy and know-how, it will be very complicated, analyzes Da Fonseca. In addition, there will not be Ramos (suspended). After that, in a match, anything is possible but I think City have very strong arguments to make to defend their advantage in the first leg, which is considerable. " But the Merengue will have nothing to lose, they who have already succeeded in their season by taking back their throne in Spain at the expense of Barcelona. Conquering a 14th Champions League, which would be Zidane's 4th, would then only be a bonus. A very nice bonus, obviously.

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