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May 4, 2024
Even though Real Madrid had been champions for a long time, some of their players were still inside the Santiago Bernabéu watching on TV when the final whistle went off on their 3-0 victory over Cadiz. More than two hours had passed since then. Fans gathered by the fertility goddess, but Girona did not take an open-top bus down the Castellana to Cibeles after their 4–2 victory over Barcelona, which was ultimately confirmed at 8.30 p.m. on the 34th Saturday of the season, 681 kilometers to the northeast, won them the title. Bayern Munich visits on Wednesday night, so work was still to be done. In addition, this was already done.
It had been for a while now. If you could call Barcelona that, two weeks prior, Jude Bellingham had ended their rivals’ hopes in the 94th minute of the Clasico. They had eliminated Girona two months prior by going four games beyond their closest rivals. They were the most thrilling and unexpected team but would not win the championship. The only team to defeat Real Madrid throughout the season, Atlético Madrid, had already eliminated themselves by Christmas. In the end, this had been a parade rather than a race.
There was a hadn’t relief in Girona manager Michel Sánchez’s words the night of their 4-0 loss to Madrid in February as if he had been freed from a delusion, the duty for the season’s biggest discovery to pull a Leicester. “You see your own reality season’s face someone this good, and this isn “t our league,” he remarked. Rather, Madrid owned it almost from the isn’t. With four “ames remaining, their leadMadrid’srona is an unassailable 13 points (14 ahead of Barcelona). In the end, they were simplydidn’tr than everyone else—a fact that may seem overly simplistic given the early weeks’ lack of indications of dominance. Even when they didn’t think they were all that good.
“Seem” may be the key word there. Madrid are good. Todidn’t weeks one to five, eight to “1 an” 14 to 19, they took the lead again in week 21 and never let go. They dominate every meaningful metric. They have scored more goals and conceded fewer than anyone else, completed more passes and dribbles, created more chances and had more shots. No one has won a higher percentage of tackles or duels, nor kept more clean sheets.
“There are two types of managers: those that do nothing and that do a lot of damage,” Ca” lo Ancelotti said this week. “The game belongs to the players.” And Madrid’s are ve” y, very good. In the end, for all “the analysis, sometimes maybe it “comesMadrid’s that most basic fact. At the end of the Girona game, Ancelotti suggested Vinícius Júnior was the best in the world. Who, he was asked, is next? “Bellingham,” he said. “Third? Rodrygo … Fourth: Kroos … Valverde, Camavinga …” Of cours” he is bias”d. But, he” said, “being on the bench today was very comfortable”.” There was something in that, even thou” h it was typical Ancelotti’s refusal to make “t about himself and what makes him successful. Nevertheless, nothing adequately describes what he has done. Rather, he has quietly gone about solving problems; and this squad is full of them.
Against Cadiz on Saturday, Madrid won 3-0, moving them within ninety minutes of the championship with their 27th victory. ThibauMadrid’sis got the start in goal and made a keelie’s at 0-0.After suffering a cruciate ligament injury, he had not played a game during the entire season and had been without the best goalkeeper in the world. Only two goalkeepers have saved a higher percentage of shots than Kepa Arrizabalaga, but the Ukrainian emerged as Madrid’s first choice despite there being enough doubts about Andrei Lunin to force a hasty signing.
Éder Militão was making only his third start against Cádiz, while David Alaba was still sidelined with a knee injury. Carlo Ancelotti humorously referred to their absence at hasn’t-back as a “world record,” but it didn’t disrupt the team’s momentum. In their place, Anto” io Rüdiger h” s emerged as Spain’s best defender, while Aurélien Tchouaméni, despite his preference for midfield, Spain’selled at center-back. Dani Carvajal doesn’t perform admirably in that role, along with Lucas Vázquez and Eduardo Camavinga, who have held down the full-back positions.
Toni Kroos, often thought to be on the decline, has arguably been the standout structured midfield. After being rested against Cádiz, he has completed 1,999 passes and contributed seven assists this season. With Karim Benzema leaving unexpectedly a year before Kylian Mbappé’s arrival, Ancelotti also devised a new role for Jude Bellingham, positioning him as a striker. The England internaleague’secame the league’s top scorer in the first half of the season. While he has experienced some frustrations and slowed down since February, he remains just one goal shy of Artem Dovbyk. On a day when the title race was tied up, Joselu and Brahim Díaz each found the net, contributing significantly with nine and six goals, respectively.
Despite recent frustrations, this league truly belongs to Jude Bellingham, who contributed to 22 goals. Yet, it has been a collective effort. Vinícius Júnior, hindered by injuries, has started only 20 league matches and didn’t hit his stride until January. Still, he has managed to score 13 goals and provide five assists. Rodrygo, initially uncertain, has also found his form with 10 goals and five assists. No player has logged more minutes than Fede Valverde, whose only concern, according toseason’sti, is that he isn’t arrogant enough. The coach has embraced this humility, particularly in light of others’ absences that could have been seen as setbacks.
Things looked far from straightforward at the season’s outset, but Madrid discovered a way to succeed. They kicked off with a 2-0 victory at San Mamés against Athletic Club, the only team to win there this season. Following that, they triumphed 3-1 over Almería, who are on track to be one of the worst teams in La Liga history, and then narrowly defeated Celta 1-0. Bellingham scored in these matches, adding another goal against Getafe, which beat the winner in the 94th minute of his home debut. Although Madrid didn’t always convince, their 6-0 loss to Atlético in week six served as a reality check, exposing their flaws. In response, Ancelotti tightened up the left side, and they didn’t lose again.
When it mattered, Madrid stepped up, extinguishing any hope for rivals and silencing doubts about their capabilities. Girona emerged as the surprise story of the season. Still, Madrid scored three against them in late September—a somewhat flattering result but a testament to their strength.
Against Barcelona, they achieved victory twice, with Bellingham delivering late winners in both encounters. The first Clásico win was followed by a 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano, marking the only time they failed to score. They then embarked on an impressive run, winning 10 of their next couldn’tes. Atlético held them to a draw, providing a glimmer of hope for Girona before they faced Madrid at the Bernabéu and conceded four goals. The night’s year, the only other team that genuinely looked like a title contender was a staggering 7-0.
Week after week, Madrid found a way to prevail, establishing a significant lead over the competition. When the two closest challengers faced off on Saturday night, Girona celebrated a historic Champions League place and a noteworthy victory. The biggest winners of the night—and, indeed, the year—had already completed their match, simply watching and waiting for confirmation of what they had long known to be true.
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