Immediate Reaction: Cádiz 1-1 Real Madrid

Cádiz 1-1 Real Madrid (Mariano Díaz). Here is the immediate reaction. Up next: press conference highlights, the player ratings and a ManagingMadrid podcast.

As the Champions League final against Liverpool continued to get closer and closer, the league continued to become an opportunity for rest and squad rotation for Madrid. Andriy Lunin was back in the starting line-up, joined by Nacho Fernández and Lucas Vázquez as the full-backs. Jesús Vallejo continued to start in the centre, whilst Mariano Díaz got his chance up front after missing out with injury a few games back. Three Castilla players made the bench, with Eden Hazard taking a seat next to them. The hosts had plenty of Castilla graduates in their squad themselves. Nacho Fernández captained the side, right alongside his brother Álex whom led the Cádiz team out.

Cádiz were the team to create the first chance, when Andriy Lunin had to get down low to parry a powerful shot away from goal. Madrid’s first chance counted for a lot more however, when Rodrygo Goes went on a fantastic run before supplying to ball to Mariano Díaz to score his first goal of the season. Lunin was called to action again to stop another strike from distance, and Nacho Fernández had to make a world class block to avoid an easy tap-in for the hosts. Although the game had become a hot-bed of half chances, Cádiz were starting to look dangerous - and it was a Castilla graduate who would break the deadlock for his side. Rubén Sobrino unleashed an arrow of a strike which skimmed in off of the crossbar perfectly to give the keeper on chance. Éder Militão was having a shaky game and was perhaps lucky to avoid a booking before half-time after a poor challenge, but the break came with the score-line at 1-1.

The home side had the first chance of the second half, as well - when they failed to finish off a rebounded effort by sending the ball far wide of the target. Another Castilla graduate in Álvaro Negredo won a penalty for Cádiz after accidental contact from Lunin - and the veteran striker lined up to take it. Lunin rose to the challenge with another great save to keep the scores level. Negredo would attempt to set things right later on with a decent low effort, but Lunin was there once again to stop the shot. Sobrino then came close to his second, but he could only direct his header over the bar. Marco Asensio had what was perhaps Madrid’s best chance of the half with a tame free-kick right at the end - but the team had not done enough to deserve all three points on the day. They in fact could have conceded a penalty beyond added time, but VAR judged the ball to have been won inside the area by substitute Dani Carvajal. 1-1 the final score. What did you think about the line-up and performance?