Rotation policy keeps Real Madrid fresh as season builds to climax
BARCELONA: Cristiano Ronaldo hogged the headlines after his hat-trick against Atletico Madrid put Real Madrid on the verge of the Champions League final, although captain Sergio Ramos believes an effervescent squad was a crucial factor behind their success.
Real shook off the absence of record signing Gareth Bale and an injury to Dani Carvajal in the first half to crush Diego Simeone’s usually resilient side, scoring as many goals on Tuesday as Atletico had conceded in their previous seven games.
Real’s least experienced defender Nacho Fernandez was called on to deputise for Carvajal in the unfamiliar right-back role while the display of Isco was viewed by many in the Spanish media as an upgrade on Bale, and 21-year-old Marco Asensio caused Atletico numerous problems down the left when he came on.
“The squad is the key to our success, having substitutes that always make their presence felt and play as well as those of us who play more often,” Ramos said.
“This is the path we need to follow, where everyone is committed and ready to do their part. It’s difficult at Madrid to keep everyone happy because everyone is so good but those demands and the level of competition makes everyone eager to play and make the difference.”
Barring a turnaround in next Wednesday’s semi-final second leg at the Vicente Calderon, Real will reach a third Champions League final in four years, while they are on course to win a first domestic league title since 2012.
“It was one of those games where everything went well, it was an impeccable performance,” said Ramos.
“We kept a clean sheet and as well as Cristiano’s goals, which will grab the front pages, you have to highlight the mentality of the group, our efforts, our willingness to press Atletico high in their own half.”
Atletico also had injury problems going into the game and were missing both of their right backs in Juanfran and Sime Vrsaljko, as well as Jose Gimenez.
Yet Simeone’s side looked flustered, while there was a remarkable freshness to Madrid, which Ramos said was down to Zinedine Zidane’s rotation policy.
The Frenchman has carefully managed his squad throughout the season. No one has been exempt from sitting out the occasional game, even Ronaldo, who has started 26 of 34 league fixtures, and resting the prolific Portuguese paid dividends as he added to his treble against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final second leg with another hat-trick.
“Zidane has been very intelligent in managing the minutes everyone plays,” added Ramos.
“The players who normally play the most are arriving at the most important moments of the season feeling fresher and more focused.”
ONCE again, the world’s wealthiest football clubs were fuelling the executive jets and launching their top talent-spotters in the direction of Monaco on Wednesday.
Manchester City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain was in the Stade Louis II, as were representatives from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
They all had eyes for Kylian Mbappe but also for Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar, Benjamin Mendy, Djibril Sidibe, Fabinho and Tiemoue Bakayoko. At the same time, they hope to unlock a secret of the hot-house.
Monaco are doing what all European clubs long to do: sourcing talent early, relatively cheaply, nurturing and developing it and selling it on at a considerable profit.
See James Rodriguez, Anthony Martial, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Yannick Carrasco and Layvin Kurzawa as evidence.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Jardim’s team play fluent football and keep winning.
They are three points clear of mega-rich Paris Saint-germain with a game in hand at the top of the French league and in the Champions League semi-finals, having ousted Tottenham, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.
Monaco are not a poor club. They have years of sporting heritage and a history of producing young players, including Thierry Henry. – Reuters