Real Madrid icon Jorge Valdano says Federico Valverde could have sold Kang-in Lee's studs-up challenge above the ankle better, noting that getting up so quickly allowed the play to continue.
The play involving Federico Valverde and Kang-in Lee has given plenty to talk about since the match ended. Many Madridistas believe the Korean deserved the red card; others say it was because the Uruguayan didn't "sell" the play and got up too quickly. The truth is that the contact was strong enough that Real Madrid published the player's medical report on its social media.
Merengue legend Jorge Valdano gave his opinion on this play on Movistar Plus Deportes. "Remember that regarding Valverde, Mourinho already accused him in some match of being 'naive,' because he had gotten up too soon after a foul that he believed deserved a higher sanction. And here it gives me the feeling that Valverde gets up too soon, and that can induce," he explained.
Quickly recalling which moment Valdano refers to. It was during the match between Real Betis and Real Madrid at La Cartuja a couple of weeks ago, when Mourinho said: "The first play of the match is a clear yellow card for the player who hit Valverde. Then, a minute later, another yellow for the player who made an important foul on Vinicius...
But the Betis players are smarter than Madrid's, who are pure and naive. Madrid's get up immediately, and Betis' players are smarter and, with the support of a fantastic fanbase that pushes and pressures, they get this kind of thing.
However, what is done is done. Both moments, both what happened against Betis and against Atlético de Madrid, curiously came accompanied by the only two defeats the Chamartín side has so far. Six points that will surely weigh more in the future than today, but there is no use staying around lamenting; it's time to lift their heads and keep fighting, since there is still a lot left to play.
It's hard to go into that international break with a six-point gap to Barcelona; it is clear. But in a little more than a month, El Clásico will take place, which will be at the Camp Nou. Without a doubt, it will be the toughest match of the season in LaLiga, but if Madrid comes out victorious, the reward will be immense, given that it is a "six-point" match.
For now, Mourinho faces the difficult task of rethinking what he has done so far. He'll have to talk to whoever he needs to, but they must improve. If they arrive at the match against Barcelona in the same form they had at the Metropolitano, it could be a hard night for Madridismo...
