Five things we learned from May’s El Clásico fixture

Europe is the priority for Los Blancos

It has happened before, and it happened again on Sunday. The UEFA Champions League has been in Real Madrid’s sights throughout the 2017-18 campaign, aiming for their unprecedented third consecutive title in the competition that has become synonymous with their image and existence.

In the most recent derby against Atlético Madrid, manager Zinedine Zidane made the tactical changes that would keep his squad fresh for European competition. The same took place ahead of the second half against Barcelona.

https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/993216823729541120

After netting the equaliser in the 14th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo was subbed off for Marco Asensio, and there were certainly some upset about this decision.

With their opponents down a man and the score level, a result was up for grabs (along with the satisfaction of ending the Cules’ unbeaten run). But it was not to be, at least for CR7 as Gareth Bale’s thunderous equaliser was a sensational moment in the 72nd minute. It is also worth noting that this strategy was almost totally successful for Zidane, especially with a penalty call that went begging late on.

The league title chase is over, and the priority for Los Blancos is the Champions League crown. However, it was still disappointing to see Ronaldo exit so early in an El Clásico battle. It is Zidane’s job to manage his players effectively so that they can achieve glory, and he carried out his duties (even if some were not happy).