Zidane prefers to launch Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Varane and castillistas like Marvin and Arribas on the attack rather than shoot Jovic
.
The Serbian has become practically
an outlaw
.
Mönchengladbach has been the latest graphic example that although Madrid are going through a serious goal problem and see themselves on the edge of the abyss in the Champions League, Jovic is
sentenced
in the eyes of his coach.
Perhaps that is why the Marseillais did not hurt to allow Ramos to
position himself as second nine
from minute 84, when the captain made a gesture to the bench.
"I'm staying upstairs," Ramos came to say
.
And he was not the only one.
Casemiro took the lead as a midfielder, Varane also fell towards the attack almost permanently (Lucas finished in Borussia Park as center-back) and in those cases both Ramos and Casemiro came back from the game.
The Brazilian, with assistance and a goal that can only be explained from the faith that Madrid radiates in Europe to when it seems that he is going to fall into the void.
Jovic
had to watch the near-miraculous comeback from a cold bench in Mönchengladbach alongside Militao, another disgraced ...
The ultimate test.
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Jovic, in a warm-up in Valdebebas.AFP7 via Europa Press
The issue between Jovic and Zidane comes, however, from afar.
"Jovic is a Madrid player, I asked him
,
"
Zidane defended himself after an indiscretion by Borja Mayoral revealed his plans for the forward.
Jovic was not in his intentions for the final squad of 2020-21.
He wanted to get rid of him in the summer and recommended in a private talk to go out to have minutes,
but the options in Italy did not work and the club was still reluctant to finally throw in the towel with the
Balkan
panzer
.
But Zidane seems to have done it.
Against Gladbach was the last demonstration.
In the league debut against Real, the Marseillais did not even send 18 white to warm up despite 0-0 in the bright Reale Arena.
He preferred to make their debut for two homegrown players (Marvin and Arribas) rather than trust Jovic.
Message up and towards the forward himself.
An invitation to take the door as soon as possible.
That did not work, Mayoral made the hare jump that Zizou preferred him to Jovic and the Shakhtar came.
Not even before the diminished Ukrainian team was the Serbian able to do a service to Madrid.
On his best occasion, alone in front of the goalkeeper, he nodded ... with his shoulder.
A null effectiveness, an even more null participation in the game and an infuriating coldness.
That is what Jovic has brought this season to Madrid's weakest offensively of the last decade.
A skinny dog is all fleas.
And Jovic is also being chased off the pitch, something that terrifies Madrid.
His escape to Belgrade generated discomfort during confinement
and it hurts that it continues to kick in, with a possible sentence of six months in prison, no matter how much the forward's father almost speaks of plots against his unfortunate son.
Tip-toe through matches
The day of Betis and Shakhtar showed that Jovic plays at a different pace than the rest.
Almost in a parallel dimension.
This is the only way to explain that against Betis, in 72 minutes, Jovic
only touched the ball 14 times and gave only 10 passes
.
To make matters worse, four of them were wrong.
The debut in Champions this course was not better for him.
In 59 minutes he was barely in contact with the ball 16 times, seven less than Benzema, for example, who came out after the break.
Although Zidane says that they can play together,
neither Jovic convinces him with Benzema nor does he serve him alone
, having seen what he has seen.
On the other hand, the Madrid coach seems more inclined to embrace any solution that appears along the way (Ramos, Casemiro ...) rather than rely on a pure battering ram that cost 60 million euros.
After just two months of competition and with Mariano counting even less if possible, Jovic, Zidane and Madrid, as if it were a
spaghetti
western,
begin to look at each other with indisputable suspicion
.