There are serious football observations that describe Carlo Ancelotti as a coach who has evolved from a tactically constrained expert—early in his career and during his time working in his homeland—to a strategist who, within an established system, increasingly grants freedom to his stars for their individual brilliance. And if anyone works with grandmasters capable of pulling off a magnificent move from their sleeve to make a difference and tilt the scales, it is the trophy-laden Italian coach.ENDRICK WHAT A GOAL AND JUDE WHAT A PASS pic.twitter.com/iCweqm90qG— WolfRMFC (@WolfRMFC) February 26, 2025 Just the other night, in a league match against Girona, Luka Modrić sent the game in the direction that suited the Royal Club with a rocket shot from over 20 meters. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham’s assist for the decisive goal in clash against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián, in the Copa del Rey semifinal, was a moment of magic on par with Modrić’s strike. In the 19th minute, the English international delivered a precisely directed pass from his own half to Endrick, who controlled the ball smoothly with his body and then, with the outside of his boot, beat Álex Remiro for what turned out to be the final 0-1. It was as if Bellingham was eager to return to football after missing one match against Girona due to suspension, and with this move, he decided the outcome of the match—although Remiro denied him twice in the final moments with long-range saves, preventing him from getting on the scoresheet.6 – Andrii Lunin made six saves against Real Sociedad, more than any Real Madrid goalkeeper in a game without conceding this season in all competitions and the most by any Real Madrid goalkeeper in a Copa del Rey game without conceding since at least 2013/14. Titan. pic.twitter.com/uAHuHi2yCU— OptaJose (@OptaJose) February 26, 2025 Real Madrid is so powerful that they can afford to use a player worth 47.5 million euros this season mainly as an asset for the Copa del Rey, while in the more crucial competitions—La Liga and the Champions League—he is given only limited playing time. Of course, he was brought in as a long-term project and a future world football star, but at the moment, he has been scoring decisive goals for the reigning European champions in three consecutive rounds. Two against Celta in extra time, one against Leganés, and now this sole goal, providing peace of mind before the second leg on April 1.##EDITORS_CHOICE##However, as much as the Brazilian super talent played a key role, Real Madrid’s true hero in San Sebastián was Andriy Lunin. The team traveled to the Basque Country without Mbappé, Valverde, and Courtois, while the Ukrainian goalkeeper took his place between the posts and saved all seven shots on target, according to official statistics. Imanol Alguacil’s team had their moments in this match, with good chances through Oyarzabal and Kubo, but the Ukrainian shone brightly, ending Sociedad’s streak of five consecutive home wins across all competitions—each with at least two goals scored. This is just the beginning of a grueling week for him, as in four days, they face Barcelona away, followed by a home clash with Manchester United in the Europa League.##NAJAVA_MECA_8736133##This match will also be remembered for the fact that Vinícius Júnior wore the captain’s armband for Real Madrid for the first time. However, he won’t recall it for any particular footballing moment but rather for yet another confrontation with the opposing fans—the match was briefly halted near the end of the first half as the crowd was warned to stop racist behavior. It will also be remembered for Dani Ceballos’ serious injury in stoppage time, leaving Ancelotti possibly without another key asset going forward. A third consecutive Real Madrid victory in San Sebastián without conceding a goal. COPA DEL REY – SEMI-FINALSTuesday Barcelona – Atl.Madrid 4-4 (3-2)/Pedri 19, Cubarsi 21, Martinez 41, Lewandowski 74 – Alvarez 1, Griezmann 6, Llorente 84, Sorloth 90+3/Wednesday Sociedad – Real Madrid 0-1 (0-1)/Endrick 19/
