Alright let me walk you through how I spent last night breaking down that Real Madrid lineup surprise against Celta Vigo. Went down exactly like this:
Setting the Stage
Kicked things off around 7 PM local time Sunday, poured myself some strong coffee – knew I’d need it. Pulled up my usual match tracker tabs. Had this gut feeling Zidane would shake things up after that Shakhtar mess midweek. Social media was buzzing wild guesses about rotations. My notebook was wide open, pen ready like a weapon.
First Glance & The Big Shock
When the official team sheets dropped? My jaw actually hit the damn floor. Zidane benched BOTH Ramos and Varane. Swapped them out for Nacho and that young kid Militao. Like, tossing your captain and rock defender? Bold as brass. Here’s how they lined up:
- Courtois – obviously between the sticks
- Carvajal – Nacho – Militao – Mendy (Seriously, Nacho?!)
- Modric – Casemiro – Kroos – Midfield trio locked in
- Asensio – Benzema – Vazquez (No Hazard? Lucas starting?! Brazy)
Honestly spent the first five minutes just scribbling “NO RAMOS.” in my notebook twice. Lucas Vazquez starting as a winger? Felt like Zidane was playing fantasy football himself.
Watching It Unfold & Spotting the Method
Kicked off, and my eyes were glued. Tried figuring out why he did this. First 15 minutes? Pure chaos at the back. Militao looked nervous as hell, misplaced a simple pass out. Celta pressed high, smelled blood. Wrote down “Ramos/Varane gap obvious.“
But then… things kinda clicked? Around the 20-minute mark. Nacho started shouting orders like he owned the place, Militao settled. Saw Zidane’s plan maybe? Nacho brought the leader vibe Ramos usually does. Lucas Vazquez? Absolute workhorse on the right, tracking back like a fullback. Made sense – Zidane wanted legs, pure graft against Celta’s runners.
The Benzema/Asensio link-up was cooking slowly. Casemiro? A brick wall as usual. Made a nasty tackle near the box, saved Militao’s bacon. Scribbled “Case covering young CBs vital.“
Second Half Tweaks & The Payoff
Second half started, Celta pushed harder. Felt that goal coming, tense as anything. Then boom! Around the 60th, Modric (the old magician) threads a ball, Benzema flicks it to Lucas Vazquez (SEE?! That guy!), and he slots it home cool as ice. My notebook line: “Fringe players delivering. Zidane gamble paying?”
Late subs brought Valverde for legs and Vinicius for Asensio (whose final ball was still frustrating me). Even saw young Marvin get a sniff! Held on for the 1-0.
So, What Did I Figure Out?
Sitting back afterwards, coffee cold now, my notes looked messy but clear. Zidane wasn’t just rotating players; he was rotating roles. Nacho stepped into Ramos’ leadership boots surprisingly well. Lucas was basically playing two positions. Militao needed babysitting but got it from Casemiro.
Zidane bet on grunt work over pure star power this time. Needed fighters, not just fancy feet, and he got it. Proved he trusts that “B team” spirit when he needs fresh legs and fight. Might blow up sometimes (like midweek!), but last night? It worked. Pure Zidane vibes – quiet, risky, kinda genius when it clicks. My armchair analysis? He earned that win with pure squad management guts.
