There is no better way to make a lasting favourable impression on the supporters of either of Spain’s giant clubs than to score in your first Real Madrid versus Barcelona clasico. Better still if you make it a spectacular strike.
You make yourself even more popular if the goal sets up victory. Add another layer of praise if the goal is a break from the usual routine, like a defender pushing against his normal boundaries.
That was David Alaba, beginning a swift counter-attack with a confident pass just in front the Madrid penalty area he was defending at Camp Nou last October, and finishing the move by tearing up the pitch, receiving the ball back just outside the Barcelona penalty box and sweeping a left-footed drive past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
That put Madrid 1-0 up in a clasico they ended up winning 2-1. It put Alaba’s wide repertoire of skills on display to madridistas still learning about the Austrian, two months into a new chapter of his career.
Alaba last summer joined Madrid from Bayern Munich, where, after 12 years attached to the serial German champions, he had let his contract run down so he could move without a transfer fee and give himself a choice of destination.
There was no shortage of potential suitors. Very few elite clubs would truly say their squads could not make use of a footballer who commands the positions of left-back, centre-back and creative midfielder, the latter role being one he has filled with distinction for the Austria national team he captains.
Once Madrid made it clear they wanted Alaba, principally as a central defender, they showed how vital they imagined he would be. The club were willing to say goodbye to their iconic, goalscoring central defender and skipper, Sergio Ramos, 35, on the expectation of Alaba arriving.
Madrid were also ready to sell Raphael Varane, whose partnership with Ramos had served the club through four European Cup-winning campaigns, because they trusted that Alaba could be part of as formidable a pairing as Ramos and Varane had become.
His rider in tandem had already been identified. Eder Militao joined from Porto for around €50 millon in the summer of 2019. He was 21 and already a full international for Brazil. Tall and lean, he was being measured up for the future Ramos succession, although he would need to be patient.
The early months were not straightforward for Militao. His first season would end with a Liga winners’ medal, but it was also the campaign that became dubbed as “the Liga of Ramos,” so influential, at both ends of the pitch, was the then Madrid captain.
Real Madrid 3 PSG 1: player ratings
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REAL MADRID: Thibaut Courtois - 6: Made three comfortable first-half saves but was then deceived at near post by Mbappe for opening goal of game. EPA -
Dani Carvajal - 5: Playing like a winger on right dragged powerful strike wide of target in 12th minute. Costly loss of possession led to counter-attack and Mbappe’s goal. Cynical booking for barging over same player in second half. EPA -
Eder Militao - 7: Two vital challenges on Messi and then Neymar when former Barca pair were teeing-up shots just before break. Dominant and error-free at back for Real, unlike some PSG defenders at other end. EPA -
David Alaba - 7: Former Bayern Munich defender was last man when Mbappe charged through in first half but couldn’t stop French striker scoring. Perfectly timed tackle to stop Mbappe scoring another early in second period. AFP -
Nacho - 6: Picked up yellow for tripping Hakimi late in first half and found Moroccan’s pace a problem for first hour of game until Real’s first goal when balance of game turned on its head and Nacho played his part. AFP -
Luka Modric - 8: Croatian midfielder had not been at his most influential then took charge of game on second half. Charging run to begin move for Benzema’s second and then provided pinpoint pass to striker’s feet to seal assist. Curled left-foot shot just wide in last couple of minutes. AP -
Federico Valverde - 7: Picked out Benzema with cross in first half but attacker’s header sailed gently into Donnarumma’s hands. Another midfielder who helped Real turnaround game. EPA -
Toni Kroos – 6: Recovered from hamstring injury to start in midfield and his perfect ball into middle picked out Benzema for French striker’s second missed headed opportunity. German didn’t look 100 per cent fit and came off before hour mark. AP -
Marco Asensio - 4: Couldn’t get into game and when half-chance did fall his way just after half-time, his control let him down and PSG cleared. Hooked early in second half. AFP -
Karim Benzema – 9.5: Thought he had opened scoring with curling shot but Donnarumma tipped narrowly wide of upright. Levelled scores on night after taking advantage of Donnarumma error. Then scored two goals in less than a minute to seal his second-half hat-trick. AFP -
Vinicius Junior - 8: Pace caused PSG early problems and looked like he might run riot but threat waned as first-half wore on. Back with bang after break. Heavily involved in all three of Benzema’s goals. Should have put Real 2-1 up but snatched at chance and fired over bar. AP -
SUBS: Rodrygo – (On for Asensio 57’) 7: Helped give Real some extra width and stretch the PSG defence. Reuters -
Eduardo Camavinga – (On for Kroos 57’) 7: All of Carlo Ancelotti’s substitutes paid off and French midfielder helped change game. Getty -
Lucas Vazquez – (On for Carvajal 66’) 7: Harsh booking for minor touch on Mbappe. EPA -
PSG RATINGS: Gianluigi Donnarumma - 5: Fantastic fingertip save at full stretch to turn Benzema shot round post 25 minutes in. Awful mistake to give ball away for Benzema’s opening goal and booked for protesting that he was fouled but error was own making. AP -
Achraf Hakimi - 6: Given early headache down right by Vinicius Jnr’s pace but regained control and looked threat himself when bombing forward. Played Benzema narrowly onside for striker’s hat-trick finish and picked up a booking for fouling Vinicius Junior soon after. EPA -
Marquinhos - 3: Some uncharacteristic howlers from Brazilian. Captain gifted ball to Vinicius Jnr with ludicrous backheel flick just before half-hour mark and was lucky not to be punished. Gave ball straight to Benzema for Real striker’s third goal. Getty -
Presnel Kimpembe - 6: France defender was solid at back and was rarely troubled in first half. Called on to tidy up when Ansensio threatened just after break but was booked late on as game slipped away from PSG. Getty -
Nuno Mendes - 6: Failed to time his run and was caught offside while setting up Mbappe’s disallowed first-half goal. Good going forward, not so convincing the other direction. Getty -
Leandro Paredes - 6: Seventh-minute booking left him on knife-edge for rest of game and would have ruled him out of quarter-final first leg. Headed block on Valvderde blockbusting volley at start of second half. Getty -
Danilo - 7: Chased and harried Real, doing the donkey work for more esteemed attacking teammates but couldn’t stop Real’s second-half onslaught. Getty -
Marco Verratti - 6: Helped dictate midfield along with Messi in first half but, like all his teammates, completely lost control of game in second. AFP -
Lionel Messi - 7: Linked up well with Mbappe and Neymar to set up first-half chances. Dinked one of those across goal himself but no teammate was there to finish. Influence and threat fell away as second half wore on until hitting roof of net with late free-kick. AFP -
Kylian Mbappe - 9: Had two early strikes saved by Courtois and then had ball in the net but disallowed for offside. Did score in 39th minute, drilling home into corner after PSG counter-attack. Rounded keeper and scored another just after break but again denied by offside flag. Getty -
Neymar - 6: Shot easily saved by keeper after linking up with Mbappe and Verratti. Sent Mbappe through for opening goal with first-time ball. Anonymous second 45 minutes. AP -
SUBS: Idrissa Gueye – (On for Paredes 71’) 5: Midfielder brought to try and give PSG a bit of control back into game that Real were dominating but couldn’t turn tide. AFP -
Angel Di Maria – (On for Danilo 81’) N/A. AP Julian Draxler – (On for Hakimi 88’) N/A.
The saga of whether or not Madrid and Ramos would agree a new contract dragged through the following year, and the effect was to cast extra judgment on Militao. When he made errors - and they became less and less frequent - madridistas would ask if the club could manage without Ramos.
The answer became a more confident yes as the Brazilian, strong in his duels, formidable in the air, grew into his role. “He’s a super player,” enthused Carlo Ancelotti, the Madrid manager, a few weeks after taking over from Zinedine Zidane at the start of this season. “Ancelotti has given me the confidence every footballer needs,” Militao told reporters.
He has won all his clasicos so far, too, and in his time at Madrid is yet to even see his club lose one even from the bench, although both he and Alaba will appreciate that Sunday’s meeting with Barcelona at the Bernabeu will present a new array of challenges for the second tightest defence – Sevilla have conceded 19 league goals, leaders Madrid 21 this season – in La Liga.
Since the October afternoon when Alaba struck his rocket at Camp Nou, Barca have brought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traore and Ferran Torres into their attack, with emphatic effect on the team’s potency.
“Militao and Alaba have fitted in very well,” said Casemiro, the midfielder who so effectively patrols the space in front of Madrid’s central defenders. Alaba, the star clasico debutant, has also quickly gauged what his home crowd like to hear from players about the club’s success-laden history.
After Paris Saint-Germain had been dramatically eliminated from the Champions League last week by Karim Benzema’s hat-trick that turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 aggregate victory, Alaba spontaneously picked up a plastic chair from pitchside, gesturing that Madrid would not deposed from their throne as the European Cup’s greatest achievers.
“I was overcome with the emotion,” he explained. “Anyway, it’s good to invent a new celebration.” This one may become his trademark.
