Real Madrid captain responds perfectly to booing fans after inadvertently helping ex-Wolves man to goal
Yesterday at 03:31 PM
Lucas Vazquez isn't having the best season, but that steely Real Madrid mentality is still shining through.
The five-time Champions League winner had a rough start to proceedings against Las Palmas in LaLiga as the visitors at the Bernabeu made him look silly.
From the kick-off Alberto Moleiro ran at the winger turned right back who didn't know what to do, the ball then ended up at Wolves loanee Fabio Silva who sent it out wide.
Silva then continued his run, and Vazquez had no idea, allowing the Portuguese forward to ghost in at the back post for a simple tap-in and shock opener with just 25 seconds on the clock.
The boos rained down for Vazquez, who's had similar treatment recently.
Ever since a 5-2 Supercopa final defeat to Barcelona on January 12 Los Blancos' fans have turned on a select number of their own.
Ahead of an extra-time win over Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey last time out, Vazquez, Aurelien Tchouameni and Carlo Ancelotti all had their names booed and whistled as pre-match line-ups were read out.
Yet they won that match, and Vazquez made sure they won this one too.
Rodrygo was taken down in the penalty box 17 minutes later and Kylian Mbappe equalised, and then just after the half hour mark the France captain was on the attack again.
With his shot from range saved, Vazquez sprinted to the ball and set up Brahim Diaz for a simple tap-in to make it 2-1.
Brahim looked for the assist maker to join in with his celebration, but a stoney-faced Vazquez was too busy kicking the advertising hoarding and shooting a look to those in attendance.
Mbappe would complete one of his best games in white with another goal, while Brahim made it 4-1 at full time.
The result also took Ancelotti's side back to the summit of LaLiga thanks to Atletico Madrid's shock slip up against Leganes, and Barcelona enduring some of the worst league form in their modern history with a draw at Getafe consigning them to just one win in their last eight in the league.
Yet it did little to distract from a difficult season for Vazquez who has found himself in an unusual position.
Club captain Luka Modric is merely an option off the bench this season as he approaches his 40s, while vice-captain Dani Carvajal saw his campaign ended by an ACL injury in October.
That put the weight on Vazquez, a winger by trade, who will likely finish the season at full-back as Madrid seem to have failed with an early bid for impending Liverpool free agent Trent Alexander-Arnold.
There was also relief for Ancelotti, who similarly let out some frustration when sitting down for his post-match press conference.
“I’m still a bit confused,” he began “These days we’ve been playing very bad football but I see Madrid leading [the league].
“I will continue studying it to see if I’m wrong or not.
“I think that the criticism is harsher with Madrid than with other teams. The whistles are criticisms that hurt, it is the fans who are not happy, and that motivates us.”
From the English side of things, it was another impressive display from Three Lions star Jude Bellingham despite failing to register a goal or assist.
The 21-year-old again led his side from the midfield out, and received plenty of praise post-match, particularly from Alfredo Relano, the honorary president of sports media giants AS.
"It makes me angry when Bellingham is left without a goal because he always tries," Relano said.
"I really like how he's always at the beginning and at the end of the play."
