Real Madrid had to beat Huesca on Saturday afternoon, and eventually they did. Their performance won’t be remembered fondly by supporters, but, as noted by Marca, it came at a time when the most important thing was securing the result. Zinedine Zidane‘s anger in the pre-match press conference on Friday served as a wake-up call to his team. They realised that it was time for them to step up to the plate and defend their coach.
Madrid travelled to Huesca short of men, with injuries hitting the squad to the extent that they travelled with a squad of just 17 players and 14 outfielders. They went a goal down but fought back to win 2-1, the first time they’ve done so this season. The only other times they recovered from going 1-0 down saw them rescue draws against Borussia Monchengladbach and Villarreal.
Thibaut Courtois played a key role, stopping Rafa Mir shortly before Raphael Varane grabbed the equaliser. The French defender hadn’t scored in over a year before landing yesterday’s brace, the first time he’s ever done so in La Liga. His goals could prove pivotal for Madrid and Zidane, giving them space to breath ahead of their Champions League clash with Atalanta.