Copa del Rey 2018/19: Girona vs Real Madrid

Taking a welcome break from La Liga duty, Real Madrid travelled to Girona looking to see out a comfortable 4-2 lead in the quarter-final second leg of the Copa del Rey. They did the job and returned to the Spanish capital with a 3-1 win.

Karim Benzemas first-half brace gave his team a vital lead, though Girona pegged one back thanks to Pedro Porro before the break. Finally, Marcos Llorente notched his second Real Madrid goal, and his second in the last two games he has started, with an effort from long range to put the game to bed.

Here, our tactical analysis will use statistics to identify what key points Real Madrid can take from the game as they secured safe passage to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey with a two-legged win over Girona.

It’s all about confidence

The results are finally coming for Santiago Solari and Real Madrid and it’s beginning to show. Confidence is bringing free-flowing football to the fore and it is for the benefit of all. After struggling to dominate possession against the likes of Villarreal and Real Betis, things have changed. This match against Girona was the fourth consecutive game in which Los Blancos had over 50% possession and completed more passes than their rivals, again making over 25% more passes than Girona over the 90 minutes.

Perhaps the most obvious case of all is in Benzema. The Frenchman notched his second brace in as many games with two fine finishes, with the first showing how his game has transformed this season. Starting deep and wide, he interlinked neatly with Dani Carvajal to burst into the box and add the finishing touch. Whereas in the past he would often play the first pass and then sit deep waiting for a rebound, he now has the belief to attack defences and exploit the spaces they are leaving for him.

We may only be halfway through the season, now entering the business end of the campaign with fixtures coming thick and fast, but already Benzema has managed 72 shots this season, beating his tally for the whole of last season of 71. Yet again his touches in the box and his progressive runs were more than double his season averages, and it is becoming more and more clear that he is adapting to become the main man in attack.

A way back for Marcelo?

Having been dropped for youngster Sergio Reguilon, Marcelo made a comeback to the starting XI and looked to stake his claim for a first La Liga start since the first game of 2019. However, Solari may have been left feeling shortchanged. On a positive note, the Brazilian was more defensively disciplined, often seeming to hold back rather than bomb forward and leave his defence exposed, but that was about all in terms of a value-adding contribution.

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