Celta de Vigo 2-4 Real Madrid
As interim periods in charge go, it could scarcely have been better.
Four wins from four, only two goals conceded and a confidence boost after the extremely brief Julen Lopetegui era ended in disaster.
Surely, Santiago Solari isn’t about to be given a job which, in football terms, is as big as it gets?
Highlights of the game
Whether he is or not, he can barely have had a better audition.
Granted, aside from winning this tricky test, Solari’s wins have come over third division Melilla in the Copa del Rey, Real Valladolid in La Liga and Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.
But he could have done little more than he has in that time at the helm.
SBOBET and La Liga 2018 betting odds would have given him little chance of getting the position full-time, let alone part-time weeks ago, but wins change everything.
The side’s biggest boost came before kick-off when one of the shock La Liga 2018 news stories emerged from the Nou Camp.
That would have lifted spirits before a ball was kicked, and shortly after the 20th-minute loss of Casemiro to injury, they survived when Facundo Roncaglia headed against the post.
Moments later, Madrid were up and running.
A perfectly weighted through ball from Luka Modric found Karim Benzema, and the French forward showed neat footwork before calmly slotting home the opener.
Toni Kroos missed a sitter to double the advantage and were nearly made to pay before the break. Brais Mendez tested Thibaut Courtois when Iago Aspas was crying out for the ball to be played to him in the centre.
It was Aspas again after halftime as his header bounced wide. After that, Benzema also curled an effort which bounced back off the top of the crossbar.
It was clear the next goal would be key, and it came Real’s way as Benzema pounced on a home defensive error to double the lead. His effort crossed the line via a deflection off the luckless Gustavo Cabral’s shoulder.
After playing their part in an even contest, Vigo seemed beaten. However, a moment of magic five minutes later brought them back into the hunt.
From Mendez’s through ball, captain Hugo Mallo watched the ball float over his shoulder and connected perfectly to rifle it into the bottom left-hand corner.
After losing both Casemiro and young defender Sergio Reguilon to injury in the first half, Madrid suffered a further blow when Nacho had to leave the fray for Los Blancos.
Courtois then denied Aspas an equaliser and it briefly looked like the visitors may struggle to hang on.
Yet, a wild challenge by David Junca on Alvaro Odriozola with eight minutes remaining saw a spot-kick awarded. Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos produced a cheeky ‘Panenka’ style penalty to restore their two-goal lead.
Home frustrations were evident when Cabral was shown a second yellow card in the closing stages. Dani Ceballos, who replaced Casemiro early on, then summed up that the fortune was with Real—they would argue it wasn’t earlier in the campaign.
Ceballos smashed a powerful fourth into the top right-hand corner from outside the box.
Spirited Vigo didn’t deserve to be so far behind and Mendez added a consolation in the third minute of stoppage time.
Yet, Real had the win, had plundered four goals away from home and are now in the top six, only four points off the pace.
Spanish league rules mean caretaker managers cannot be in charge of a club for more than 14 days. After that time, the temporary boss must be made permanent if they are to continue in the role.
This result will have done him a power of good.
Is Solari set for a magnificent Monday? We shall soon find out.
It’s over to Madrid’s hierarchy.
Key statistics
Three Celta Vigo players were booked in four minutes towards the end of the first half.
That angered Solari who said the forcefulness of their challenges often went unpunished, with Gareth Bale and Odriozola also carrying knocks late on.
What’s next?
It’s back-to-back away games for Real after the international break.
They travel to Eibar in La Liga and then meet AS Roma in Rome in the Champions League.
Two home matches follow in early December as Valencia visit the Bernabeu. and minnows Melilla are in town for the second leg of their Copa del Rey meeting.
It’s the second and third meetings in a month for Vigo against Real Sociedad.
They meet in La Liga in San Sebastian next before playing their second leg in the Copa del Rey (the score is poised 1-1 after the first leg), also in San Sebastian.
Celta entertain Huesca in a league fixture in between.
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