Ep. 12 - Handicapped in Villarreal

A Real Madrid squad that has been handicapped by injury was held to a 1-1 draw at Estadio La Cerámica in Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine have been flying as of late; Unbeaten in their last 5 games and having only lost once this season, traveling to Villarreal was going to be a stiff test for Real Madrid. What would have been a stiff test for a Real Madrid team at full fitness seemed much more overwhelming considering Los Blancos were missing the likes of Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, and Fede Valverde due to injury. In addition to injuries, 2020 has brought a new concern for teams as they, along with the rest of the world, try to follow health protocols in order to avoid catching the COVID-19 virus. Luka Jovic, Casemiro, and Eder Miitao were also out of the squad list due to recent positive or inconclusive COVID-19 test results. Needless to say, Real Madrid this season has been handicapped by both seemingly non-stop injuries and now COVID. While many Madridistas will be rightfully disappointed by the draw this weekend versus Villarreal, there were many positive takeaways considering Real Madrid had to field a makeshift XI that lacked many of their most important players. The most positive takeaway from the game was that RB Dani Carvajal made his return and immediately showcased why he is so important to this team. He is without a doubt one of the best fullbacks in the world and what Madrid has been lacking in our defense. Check out Episode 12 of our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, and the iHeartRadio App.