Real Madrid’s first goal was assisted by Dani Ceballos, who entered the game as a substitute. The 26-year-old midfielder provided the openings for the second and third goals, as well as the game-winning goal, when his team was on the verge of elimination from the Spanish Cup tournament, trailing 2-0 at halftime.
“I was extremely irritated,” admitted Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. “They jumped out to an early lead, we took risks, they move the ball efficiently from the back, and we weren’t decisive in the duels.
“I instructed the team to awaken. They awoke healthily. The first half was poor, and we cannot continue to play in that manner. But the response was phenomenal; with this badge, you never quit up. However, we cannot approach the bottom before taking action; this is not desirable.”
Gerard Moreno found Samuel Chukwueze between two defenders and provided a superb pass to the Nigerian winger, who fired a well-placed effort into the upper left corner of the goal post in the 41st minute. Villarreal had dominated the first half.
In the 56th minute, Ceballos came off the bench to play a vital part in all of Real Madrid’s goals.
One minute after entering the game, he provided a brilliant through ball to Vinicius Jr, who scored from close range. Twelve minutes later, he crossed the ball to Karim Benzema, whose overpowering header was blocked by Filip Jorgensen, but the rebound was converted by Eder Militao.
In the 86th minute, Ceballos executed a superb low shot from just inside the penalty area to give Real Madrid the victory.
When speaking with TVE, Ceballos stated, “When you have the opportunity to wear this jersey, even for one minute, you must seize it.”
“I’m glad to have been able to infuse the team with vigor and determination, and fortunately we were able to turn the game around.”
“Sure, we want to dominate every game we play, but we have not been able to do so in recent weeks. We have played many consecutive games, and many of our players have returned from the World Cup, so we must now look ahead.
Real Madrid’s triumph over Villarreal appeared to be a comeback after their 2-1 LaLiga loss to Villarreal two weeks prior and 3-1 Spanish Super Cup final loss to Barcelona last Sunday
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