Real Madrid Triumphs Over Villarreal but Cries Foul: “Never Again Without 72 Hours of Rest!”

The Madrid manager took the opportunity in this encounter to rotate his squad a bit, giving players a much-needed breather after the grueling Champions League exploits and the dramatic penalty shootout victory against Atletico. Vinicius found himself on the bench, making way for Brahim Diaz in the starting line-up, while Tchouaméni slotted into central defence and Valverde reclaimed his spot in midfield. It was in the 8th minute that the hosts struck first. Following a corner, the ball ricocheted to Foyth, who found the back of the net right in front of Courtois. The response from Real was swift: just eight minutes later, on the 16-minute mark, Mbappé set up Brahim in the box. The former Milan player attempted to lob Diego Conde, but the Villarreal keeper could only parry it into the path of Mbappé, who made no mistake. The Frenchman was on fire, replicating his feat in the 23rd minute: he initiated the counter-attack, passed to Valverde on the wing, who then assisted Lucas. Lucas played it back for Mbappé, who controlled skillfully before slotting it home just shy of the post. A sensational strike—20 goals in La Liga, just one behind Lewandowski, and 30 for the season. Villarreal struggled to find an answer as Real Madrid maintained control for the rest of the match, securing a crucial victory in their 21st outing within the demanding schedule of 2025, playing a match every three days. - Resource: "https://www.eurosport.it/calcio/liga/2019-2020/il-real-madrid-batte-il-villarreal-grazie-a-mbappe-e-protesta-mai-piu-in-campo-senza-rispettare-72-ore-di-riposo_sto21717197/story.shtml