Goals: Ludogorets—Marcelinho 6’; Real Madrid—Ronaldo 25’ (penalty), Benzema 77’
Recap: Ninety minutes of enthralling football saw Real Madrid capture a 2-1 victory over Ludogorets on Tuesday.
A shock header from Marcelinho gave the hosts an improbable 1-0 lead just six minutes after the start. A penalty save from Vladislav Stojanov gave Ludogorets hope in pursuit of a remarkable upset. That jubilation, however, was short lived. With a second chance from the spot, Cristiano Ronaldo punished the Bulgarian minnows. Karim Benzema sealed the victory with a clinical finish in the second half.
Key Moment: With Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez aimlessly meandering about the pitch, Carlo Ancelotti turned to his bench to infuse potency into the attack. It took Benzema less than 10 minutes to provide it. One tactical substitution was the difference between three points and one for Real Madrid.
Man of the Match: Marcelo’s assist and performance is worthy of mention. The 26-year-old finished his 90-minute shift with 100 touches, one tackle and a successful take-on in addition to his service.
Lesson Learned: Chicharito doesn’t possess enough quality to feature for Real Madrid. The Mexican international proved to be impotent in the most crucial moments of the match, failing to give Los Galacticos the lead from just outside the six-yard box. Real Madrid are in need of a prominent striker, something Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez is not.
Up Next: Real Madrid return home to face Athletic Bilbao on Oct. 5, while Ludogorets face Slavia Sofia on Oct. 4.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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