Real Madrid 2-0 Real Sociedad: Big goodbyes to club icons as Mbappe’s goals all but secure the Pichichi award
Real Madrid went into the game against Real Sociedad with very little to play for. Fittingly, by the final whistle, the goals and the points almost felt secondary and the main point of the afternoon – the goodbyes – took centre-stage. Two goodbyes, actually, to two towering figures of this era: Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric.
The send-off was not subtle. Monumental banners unfurled on both ends of the pitch before kick-off celebrated the pair, and Modric’s name was met with a standing ovation ten minutes in, in recognition of his shirt number. When he was withdrawn in the 87th minute, both the Madrid and the Real Sociedad players formed a guard of honour. It was no less than deserved by the man who has had a career of excellence in white, played at the highest level and won the highest awards, even snatching it from the most decorated players on the planet.
Ancelotti gave a modest wave to the crowd when the final whistle blew. Allowing himself a smile, he held Modric by the shoulder and they waved in concert to the Bernabeu faithful. The Italian will be heading over to Brazil this June to lead the Selecao.
On the pitch, a young man on a different end of his Madrid career stole the spotlight. It is only Kylian Mbappe’s debut season but two goals ensured that he would all but secure the Pichichi award, something that not even Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul or Karim Benzema – the club’s highest goalscorers – managed in their debut season.
The Frenchman’s first goal came after he missed a first-half penalty but then followed up clinically after Unai Marrero had spilled the ball. The second goal came late in the second half when Vinicius, who had come on as a substitute, threaded a pass into Mbappe’s path. The angle was tight and there was a man on Mbappe, but somehow he managed to send his strike in off the near post. The forward’s brace secured a routine win for Los Blancos, who finish second in the table behind champions Barcelona.
There were other farewells too. Lucas Vazquez, a club servant since 2015, exited to warm applause and an emotional hug from Mbappe. The Spaniard is understood to have reached an agreement with the club to leave this season.
On the visitors’ bench, Imanol Alguacil oversaw his final game as Real Sociedad boss after a remarkable seven-year tenure that included a Copa del Rey win and a return to regular European competition. This season, however, they finish in 11th place and outside the European spots.
