Managing Madrid Podcast: Balling in Balaídos and Solari's million dolla spot

Hosts Gabe Lezra, Om Arvind and Emilee Woods break down Real Madrid's impressive 2-4 victory over Celta Vigo in Balaídos--a ground they've traditionally struggled with. There's a fair amount to say about this match but, let's be real, this was a game where Celta decided to emulate Simeone's Atleti and literally injure as many people as possible.  Oh, and Barcelona lost. And Madrid won. Is this real life? Some topics discussed:  What is "black magic" in this new sense? And is this really a fair characterization of Solari's tenure so far? How Big is Benz? And is this the new normal for him? (I think you can guess where we were on this). Alright, let's talk about injuries. Nacho's injury is huge. He's a modern defensive back, playing multiple positions--the duct tape, if you will. Casemiro's only out for a bit, so that's good. And Regilión, who was huge in this match, will also be out--where does that leave us?Some high points from the match: Benzema. Benzema. Benzema. And Modric--is he back? And he's a hugely important cog in this machine, so an in-form Modric could be a massive upgrade. Solari's decision to play Odriozola and Reguilión instead of Nacho and others out of position.Madrid held Celta to around 1 xG in Balaídos--a great result. Is this Solari's doing? How much of today's result can be attributed to the grit the teams had on display? Madrid's targets in the Superclásico--Palacios and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices