Carlos Espi grab Real Madrid last-gasp 3-2 win at Elche on Tuesday, and the goal carry Jose Mourinho side level with Barcelona for top of LaLiga.
Espi, wey Madrid sign from Levante this summer, never start any game for club, but both him goals don dey vital for Mourinho side. The striker already save team at Espanyol for their opening game with late strike, and against Elche he tuck home for back post for 91st minute after Madrid throw away two-goal lead.
Madrid now get five wins from six matches. Dem level on points with champions Barca, and Barca go host Racing Santander on Wednesday.
Mourinho rest Jude Bellingham for first time this season. Arda Guler enter team for him place. Players from both teams wear T-shirts to support residents from city of Ceuta after recent migration crisis for Spanish territory for North Africa. But Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate roll dem halfway up, and e appear say the message we are all Ceutans slightly obscure.
Vinicius dey struggle for best form this season and him miss some presentable opportunities for Martinez Valero stadium. The forward prod wide after Guler set him up for second minute, and him also send another effort badly off-target from edge of box. Tete Morente threaten for other end, but Madrid dey on top and dem take lead midway through first half.
Guler curl free-kick around wall and against post. The ball hit Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro before e cross line, and e count as own goal.
Madrid second come eight minutes later. Record signing Yan Diomande create am, and e register him first assist for club. The Ivorian winger, wey start for second time, cross for Mbappe to slip past Dituro for him eighth goal of season across all competitions. Mbappe collide with goalkeeper and e look like e hurt, but e soon recover and play on.
Mbappe combine again with Diomande early for second half, but him only fit head the winger blasted cross high over bar. Vinicius drill wide before dem replace am, and e end frustrating evening for Brazil international.
Elche pull one back through Abiel Osorio header from Lucas Cepeda cross. The forward jump high to nod past Thibaut Courtois. E strike fear into Los Blancos, and Elche capitalize. Dem equalize for 83rd minute through Nino. The Spanish striker produce fine low finish to pull him team level with 15-time European champions.
Mourinho throw on strikers Espi and Endrick to find late winner, and e get wetin e want. Espi make run to back post where Mbappe find am to knock in late winner.
For Diomande performance, e dey eventful and 90% of am really good. The 10% wey bad: him get habit of lunging in when opposing wingers take am on, when e suppose hold him position and keep those wingers in front of am. If dem take that habit out of him game, e go get burned less. There also some naivety for him part on Elche second goal. While Marc Cucurella be the one wey initially give ball away, Diomande fit help team better by tracking Josan Ferrandez.
But the other 90% na wetin eye dey focus on. The dude run himself into earth for Jose Mourinho, e be two-way freak on wing, and e can break lines. E dey equally good on both wings. You really see am come alive when Vinicius Jr was taken out and Diomande shift to left. You may notice say you no notice Brahim Diaz at all last night on right, and na because all play funnel through Diomande on opposite side.
My lazy hypothesis: Diomande enter new team wey get four established attacking stars wey get seniority. The more e comfortable with him teammates and the more e puff him chest out, the more we go see am dust wing-backs and produce goals.
I bring this up because over and over again, Denzel Dumfries don dey that exact position but e no fit execute that pass. Trent do am blindfolded. Plenty things Trent no good at, and almost all of them dey defensive end. But that pass? Na him money-maker. I think e take excellent positions for first half, for right half space, where him dribbling and passing open space for Kylian Mbappe and Diomande. I think Dumfries go start against Atletico Madrid. I understand concerns with Trent defense. I stand by wetin I talk for previous weeks: Trent need continuity as starter. If not, no expect am to reach him best.
Yes, Guler comfortably lead Europe in chances created, and only two reasons e might not lead entire continent in assists by end of campaign: one, him teammates no go finish chances; two, Mourinho no go start am every game.
I go add more thoughts because Elche game deserve fresh take. I think everything I talk above true, but I go add say last night, e no be merely fatigue issue. Mourinho make all five him subs, but three of them almost too late, and there some luck say Carlos Espi score despite him come in with just three minutes to go. How many times we go expect Espi to bail us out with only few minutes to prove himself? And why we go risk that? Why we no go expect am to score more goals if we simply increase him minutes and pump balls into am? He currently dey one goal per 13 minutes. Yes, that insane, and yes, that not sustainable, but yes, e clearly get ability to fuck shit up in most complimentary way possible.
With that out of way, I chalk up second half issues to mental struggles rather than mere physical struggles. The press good against Elche for first half, but e no balls-to-the-walls enough to suffer physical break down. The bigger concern be say players subconsciously fall into trap say game don dust and dem fit coast. ‘2-0 up against Elche? 3-0 up against Rayo? Make we just sit back and end this game 10-0 by hitting dem with counter attacks with dem defense open’. These approaches only work if you truly ready to put your foot on opponents’ neck. Passivity go lead to complacency and invite pressure. Dem don discuss this one to death ad nauseam.
Vinicius be shell of himself. Make we analyze wetin e be for this stage of him career, even if e might, hopefully, only temporary: He be player wey work really hard but e no fit dribble past anybody and e get zero confidence in front of goal. Prime Vinicius go undress best right-backs for world. Current Vinicius get locked up by Hector Bellerin, Buba Sangaré, and Dejan Ljubičić. Last night, e no complete single dribble.
I love Vinicius defensive effort. I also think bar low if we dey lean on such basic things, wey important, no doubt. Jose Mourinho dey really tough situation. For one hand, e dey desperately try to bring best version of Vinicius back. For other hand, time dey tick on how much e can wait when other hungry attackers dey produce offensively and dem also work hard defensively.
Earlier, Valencia earn 1-0 win at Alaves, while Rayo Vallecano defeat Espanyol 2-1.
