Xabi Alonso made a surprising decision in tonight’s starting XI: Vinícius Júnior was left on the bench, and — perhaps even more shockingly — it was the out-of-favour Rodrygo who got the nod on the left wing. On the opposite flank, 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono earned his first Real Madrid start, replacing Brahim Díaz, who featured on the right last week.
Rodrygo looked sharp throughout the first half, acting as a constant line-breaker against Real Oviedo’s low block. The hosts relied heavily on transitions,
but even when they managed to breach Madrid’s high line, Alonso’s men recovered quickly to neutralize the danger.
Madrid dominated possession in the first half, pressed with intensity, and controlled most of the game. The struggles were familiar: breaking down a compact block in the final third. But the breakthrough finally came in the 37th minute, when Aurélien Tchouaméni won the ball with a superb tackle, Arda Güler pounced on the loose ball, and Kylian Mbappé produced a gorgeous turn and low finish into the corner:
The second half was a bit sluggish from Madrid. Several players looked tired, and Oviedo pushed their line higher up the pitch, asking more questions of Madrid’s defense. But the result was sealed late on. First, substitute Vinícius pressed well to steal possession and slipped Mbappé through for his second of the night. Then, in stoppage time, Vinícius capped things off with a brilliant solo run and finish in transition to make it 3–0.
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