Real Madrid started the year badly in the Spanish league, with a 2:1 loss to Villarreal, which was their second of the season. It also opened the year 2022 with a loss with the same result, to Getafe, and in fact this is the first time since 1949 that the team from the capital of Spain has not won two years in a row in its first league game in a calendar year.
In addition to the loss, Real Madrid registered an unusual figure, when following Dani Carvajal’s injury, and the preference of Eder Militao over Lucas Vassex, they went up without a Spanish player in the lineup for the first time in the club’s 121 years of existence, in “Marca” they wondered: “Is there Spanish players are good enough to start in the Real Madrid lineup? Or does the club simply not bet on local players?”.
the losing coach, Carlo Ancelotti, admitted at the end: “Villarreal was better and deserved to win. We weren’t good enough, especially in defense. The game was open and they won thanks to balls between the lines.” On the unusual decision to start with Eder Militau as a right back, he said: “I didn’t want to start with Lucas Vasseks who played 90 minutes against Caserinho in the cup and was tired. Militau played in that position with the Brazilian national team and was good. He was good defensively today.”
The former player of the Blancos, Albero Benito, criticized the ability: “Real Madrid was not good, it was their gray game, especially without the ball. It was very difficult to press Villarreal. Real Madrid is a team that keeps well, but today that was not the case. They played 80 minutes as if they were not interested, and in the last ten minutes they started running.”
on the other side, Kika Stein He was satisfied with the performance of his players, which was probably the best since he was appointed to the position: “We played outstandingly and looked like an outstanding opponent. We started well, dominated the opponent’s half of the field and had opportunities. There were also some situations against us, but overall it was a very positive game.” .
About the 40-year-old Pepe Reina, who started between the posts after Geronimo Rolli’s move to Ajax, he said: “I’m calm, things like this happen. We have kids who are fighting for their place, and Pepe played excellently. It’s a perfect combination between veterans like Pepe and youngsters.”
