Immediate Reaction: Real Madrid 5 - 1 Alhama El Pozo; Liga F

Real Madrid ran riot against Alhama El Pozo this evening. Below are some of the main points from the match.

• First and foremost - the lineup. Alberto Toril started with the 3-5-2 formation for the first time this season and I must say that it’s the cleanest gameplay I’ve seen this team playing in the league this season. Ivana, Rocío and Kathellen made up the back 3, then we had Maite, Weir and Teresa in the middle with Athenea and Svava on the sides acting as wingbacks. Feller and Esther lead the attack.

Grid View

• Real Madrid XI
• Alhama XI
• Bench

• The first 3 minutes started with our defense giving away possession and letting Alhama cross into our box a few times only to clear those balls almost immediately. After that, we went onto a counterattack.
• 3’: GOAL (1:0) by Caroline Weir! Svava received the ball from Weir right outside of Alhama’s box, dribbled inside and made a ground back pass to Weir who shot it inside. Brilliant Weir-Svava-Weir action.

• In the next minutes we managed a few more chances. Esther was going wide at this point, she oftentimes failed to make a pass or a shot, even failing a 1v1 on the goalkeeper. But before that missed chance, at 5’ she managed a pass to Feller’s head from inside the box, the ball slips of her head and land at Tere’s feet who shoots it and hits the crossbar at the open goal.
• There was yet another collision between two of our players because what’s a Real Madrid game without collisions? Svava and Feller collided in the rival’s box and the ball found its way to Esther who shot and got her shot blocked.
• 32’: GOAL (2:0) by Naomie Feller! Esther made a ground pass to Feller who was positioned right in front of the goal and shot it in.

• Two minutes later Svava was back into her dribbling mood, she was alone in the box so she shot at the second post but hit the outer part of the post.
• 35’: GOAL (3:0) by Naomie Feller! Brace by Feller and double assist by Esther, this time with a pass to Naomie’s head who headed it in brilliantly.

• 45’: GOAL (4:0) by Esther Gonzalez! After clean dribbling inside the box, Athenea makes the final pass to Esther who hit the net.

• Halftime substitution: Nahikari and Claudia F. in for Esther and Kathellen
• The second half wasn’t as exciting. It was filled with fouls and offside positions. Nahikari tended to do things she never used to do before, including holding onto the ball too long, dribbling inside the box, trying to finish from the wing etc.
• 56’: Substitution: Møller in for Feller
• 57’: GOAL (5:0) by Teresa Abelleira! A screamer from outside the box, simply spectacular.

• 60’: GOAL (5:1) by Jade Boho! Serna defeats Svava on the wing and makes a clean cross to Boho who was badly marked by Claudia F.
• 61’: Toletti in for Weir
• 73’: Lucía in for Athenea
• Not much happening until the end of the match. Some fun details were Lucía and Claudia F. dribbling past Alhama’s defenders in 2 separate chances.

Two very different halves which can only be explained that the team must’ve wanted to save energy after finishing the game in the first half. Unfortunately, their decision to relax cost us the clean sheet.