Real Madrid moved closer to their dream of a third straight Champions League title with a dogged 2-1 away win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their semi-final.
Crucial to the success was left-back Marcelo, whose goal levelled the scores after Madrid had fallen behind.
Here’s an in-depth look at the Madrid No12’s performance.
KEY STATS
Goals – 1
Assists – 0
Passing accuracy – 78%
Touches – 72
Dribbles – 1
Tackles – 2
Clearances – 5
Interceptions – 0
30-SECOND VERDICT
Faced with a strong Bayern side with attackers who could trouble him, Marcelo did what he does best: hit back with some brilliant attacking play of his own.
He was partially at fault for Bayern’s goal, caught too far up the pitch as the German side counter-attacked down his side. But he made up for it with a well-taken equaliser.
GOT RIGHT
His goal was a combination of Marcelo’s best attributes: his desire to go forward, and his technique in attack. A sweetly-timed volley to score one of the more important goals of his career.
Defensively, Marcelo took up excellent positions on set-pieces, popping up in the right place to clear the ball in the face of an aerially strong Bayern.
Marcelo’s volley was perfectly timed.
GOT WRONG
The flip side of Marcelo’s game is always that he can sometimes be a defensive liability, and that was true for Bayern’s goal. In truth, Sergio Ramos and Casemiro should have dealt with the situation between themselves, but it doesn’t reflect well on Marcelo that the goal came down his flank and was scored by Bayern’s right-back.
KEY MOMENTS
28th min, Bayern GOAL: Marcelo is nowhere to be seen as Kimmich surges down Real’s left flank, with acres of space to run into before scooping the ball into the Madrid net.
44th min, GOAL: The left-back makes amends with a stunning goal. Dani Carvajal’s high ball dropped perfectly for him on the edge of the box, and he found the corner of the net with an expertly struck volley.
VERDICT
A vintage Marcelo performance. He was heavily involved in Madrid’s attacking play, and while that meant he was caught out on occasion, this is the trade-off the Brazilian brings. Sometimes his marauding tendencies hurt his own side, but it’s that very trait that is so valuable to his team. Scoring, especially such a good goal, was the ultimate vindication.
RATING 7/10
