In the final stages of the 4-1 victory over Valencia, the best version of Real Madrid appeared, with a six-minute spell showing Zinedine Zidane’s team at their scintillating best.
It’s been a dismal domestic season for Los Blancos and many of their stars have missed extended periods, however, they combined well to give the travelling away support something to shout about late on at the Estadio Mestalla.
Marcelo was pivotal from the left, marauding up the flank and combining neatly with Cristiano Ronaldo.
He picked up the ball near the end of the match and was surrounded by four Valencia players but managed to find an escape route and immediately passed the ball to Marco Asensio.
The Spaniard’s first touch took the ball away from Dani Parejo and he then returned the ball to the left-back who duly fired home past Neto.
This goal sealed the result for the visitors, but they weren’t done.
Just before the final whistle there was another good passage of play which showed the magic of the European champions.
Marcelo would once again kick-start the move, cutting the ball back to Mateo Kovacic on the edge of the penalty area.
The Croatian then delivered a cushioned back-heel to Toni Kroos who sent the ball into the net in classic fashion with the inside of his right foot.
Not only did these two goals show a renewed confidence but they provide the blueprint for how Los Blancos can test Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
