Xabi Alonso’s contractual future in Madrid will hang by a very thin thread, thinner and thinner if possible, but the remains of the old Bernabéu also have something to say about the players. And especially about Vinicius.
As soon as the ball was put into circulation, with each Sevilla attack, with each white error or even with any action that did not go well for the hosts, the stands whistled. They didn’t forgive any of them. Because of an error from Huijsen – again very scattered -, because of an opportunity which escaped Isaac Romero or because of a dribble which Vini did not complete. At the slightest, or the greatest, whistles in the air in a very tense atmosphere at the Castellana.
The big surprise went to the white number seven, central protagonist of a Real Madrid career that marks a before and after since the classic in question, and who was sent off in the 83rd minute with a loud whistle, still with a distressing 1-0 for the locals. The Brazilian, contrary to what happened during the classic, withdrew gently, slowly, eating away the anger of the stands. A bitter parade for him which marks a turning point in his relationship with his people, at least, at this moment of crisis. Curiously, this time, after handing over the captain’s armband to Courtois, he greeted the coach whom he very seriously disowned in the afternoon in Barcelona. He didn’t speak after the match, but he made a decision: he changed his Instagram profile picture with Madrid and posted one with Brazil.
“Supporters are sovereign and free to give their opinion,” Xabi said simply, specifying that he had not discussed the matter with the person concerned.
The amphitheater remained rather impassive last year despite the obvious drop in tension, but last month’s crisis awakened the sleeping wolf. In the midst of the great and irreversible internationalization of the stadium, it is increasingly difficult to find the signs of this censored stadium that has not forgiven its inhabitants for the racing economy, the only non-negotiable of Chamartín, a place that has generated cold sweats for more than one Real Madrid player in history. However, the team’s collapse since the classic has exhausted the cobbles’ patience.
The anger was already evident in the result of the match two weeks ago against Celta, which ended up triggering this great instability for Xabi, and three days later in the duel against Manchester City, where Vinicius was one of the nominees. Since then, Madrid have won face to face against Vitoria and Talavera, two victories which, far from calming the noise, have elevated it. And on the way back, the stands did not miss the opportunity to wreak havoc on the players and, among all, the focus was mainly on Vini.
The Brazilian, protagonist of the episode against Barcelona after which nothing was the same in Madrid, is in the eyes of the people. After a quarter of an hour, a routine action in which he could not get past the back line of two rivals, the Bernabéu whistles sounded. And it wasn’t the first time. A few minutes earlier, when lineups were announced over the public address system, whistles also emerged from the crowd.
The break, despite Bellingham’s 1-0 lead, did not calm everyone in the team (a few whistles were heard again), and even less so when 10 minutes after the restart Courtois had already prevented three goals. After Sevilla’s fifth try in the second half, the jubilant Madrid crowd sang a song once dedicated to Atlético at the Bernabéu to mock the Reds and Whites’ worst moments: “Throw eggs at him.”
Camavinga’s substitution by Güler in the 72nd minute confirmed that the anger was not the same among everyone. The Turk, who is in the doldrums, was greeted with lukewarm applause, but applause. The same thing did not happen to Vinicius.
Upon his return to the locker room, while Madrid were once again in a hurry despite the fact that Sevilla was a moment behind with a player less, Kylian Mbappé managed to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s mark of 59 goals in 2013 from the penalty spot. Of course, the Portuguese achieved them in 50 matches and 4,216 minutes, according to Opta records, while the Frenchman needed 59 duels and 4,900 minutes. He had several chances to beat CR, but he didn’t score on the night the Bernabéu targeted Vini, who also hasn’t scored in 14 games.
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