**JANUARY 22, 2025 - MATCH DAY**
**ESTADIO ALFREDO DI STÉFANO, MADRID**
**KICKOFF: 15:00 CET**
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**PRIMERA FEDERACIÓN - GROUP 1, MATCHDAY 21**
**REAL MADRID CASTILLA vs CF TALAVERA DE LA REINA**
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**REAL MADRID CASTILLA STARTING XI (4-3-3):**
**GK:** Fran González
**DEF:** Álvaro Carrillo - Marvel - **Asencio (C)** - Diego Aguado
**MID:** Kurosawa Kaito - Chema Andrés - Antonio David
**FWD:** David Jiménez - Gonzalo García - Álvaro Martín
**COACH:** Raúl González
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**CF TALAVERA DE LA REINA STARTING XI (4-4-2):**
**GK:** Roberto Sánchez
**DEF:** Cristian Muñoz - Pablo Hernández (C) - Raúl Torres - Jorge Medina
**MID:** Carlos Ruiz - Miguel Ángel Santos - Luis Fernández - Dani Vega
**FWD:** Javier Moreno - Sergio Gómez
**COACH:** Antonio Vázquez
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**MATCH OFFICIALS:**
**Referee:** Carlos Muñoz Fernández
**Assistant Referees:** Jorge Santos López, Miguel Ruiz Ortega
**Fourth Official:** Antonio García Martín
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**WEATHER:** Clear, 9°C, Wind 8 km/h NE
**ATTENDANCE:** 3,247
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**[BROADCAST - REAL MADRID TV]**
**SPANISH COMMENTARY TEAM:**
**Carlos Martínez Sánchez** (Lead Commentator, 25 years experience covering Real Madrid)
**Gustavo Delgado Ruiz** (Analyst, Former Real Madrid Castilla midfielder, 2004-2008)
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**[BROADCAST - NHK SPORTS JAPAN]**
**JAPANESE COMMENTARY TEAM:**
**Takahashi Kenji** (Lead Commentator, Japan national team matches veteran)
**Nakamura Yuki** (Analyst, Former J-League midfielder, European football specialist)
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The referee's whistle pierced the afternoon air at exactly 15:00 CET.
**KICKOFF.**
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**[1' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
**MARTÍNEZ (Spanish):** "Y arranca el partido en el Di Stéfano. Real Madrid Castilla con el balón, Gonzalo toca hacia Kaito—el debut del japonés de quince años..."
*(And the match begins at Di Stéfano. Real Madrid Castilla with the ball, Gonzalo touches to Kaito—the debut of the fifteen-year-old Japanese...)*
**TAKAHASHI (Japanese):** "キックオフ!黒澤海斗,初めてのプロの試合が始まりました!"
*(Kickoff! Kurosawa Kaito, his first professional match has begun!)*
Gonzalo García rolled the ball backward from the center spot to Kaito, who received it five meters inside the Castilla half. His first touch in professional football took the ball onto his right foot, controlled and clean, exactly as thousands of hours of training had programmed into his muscle memory.
Talavera's front two—Moreno and Gómez—immediately began pressing forward, exactly as the scouting report had predicted. A 4-4-2 that would sit deep defensively but apply token pressure when Castilla tried to build from the back.
Kaito's second touch was a simple pass square to Chema Andrés, who'd dropped between the center-backs to create the numerical superiority Raúl's system required. Three defenders against two forwards. Always a free man.
**DELGADO (Spanish):** "Bien, así es como Raúl quiere empezar. Paciencia. Control. Chema recibe sin presión..."
*(Good, this is how Raúl wants to start. Patience. Control. Chema receives without pressure...)*
Chema turned and played the ball left to Marvel, who took one touch and pinged it wide to Diego Aguado at left-back. The Talavera right-winger, Carlos Ruiz, closed down but not quickly enough. Aguado had time to look up and assess.
Twenty-three seconds elapsed. Castilla had completed six passes and moved the ball from the center circle to the left flank. Talavera's shape had already shifted, their midfield four sliding across to cut off central penetration.
**[2' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
The pattern repeated itself for the opening two minutes—Castilla probing patiently, Talavera sitting deep and compact, neither team willing to commit too early or take unnecessary risks. Professional football at this level was often cautious in its opening phase, both sides feeling each other out, identifying weaknesses, waiting for the opponent to make the first mistake.
Kaito's third touch came in the 2nd minute when Chema found him with a pass into the left half-space. He received with his back to Santos, the Talavera defensive midfielder who'd been assigned to shadow him.
The contact came immediately—Santos's body pressing into Kaito's back, testing his strength, establishing physical dominance early. Not a foul, just professional physicality, the kind of challenge that asked a question: *Can you handle this for ninety minutes?*
Kaito felt the pressure, absorbed it, and played the ball first-time square to Antonio David rather than trying to turn. Professional decision-making—knowing when to keep it simple rather than forcing something that wasn't available.
**NAKAMURA (Japanese):** "海斗,良い判断.無理にターンしようとせず,確実なパスを選択しました."
*(Kaito, good decision. Didn't try to force the turn, chose the safe pass.)*
Antonio received and immediately looked forward, but Talavera's midfield had compressed the central spaces. He played it back to Marvel, recycling possession, and the pattern continued.
**[5' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
**POSSESSION: Castilla 71% - 29% Talavera**
The opening five minutes established the match's fundamental dynamic exactly as both coaching staffs had predicted. Castilla controlled the ball, probing patiently, completing short passes in their own half and midfield without penetrating Talavera's defensive block. Talavera sat deep in their 4-4-2, compact and organized, content to concede possession and space in non-dangerous areas.
Kaito had touched the ball four times—two simple passes to teammates, one layoff under pressure from Santos, one reception that led nowhere because the forward passing option wasn't available. Nothing spectacular, but nothing wrong either. Professional competence, executing his role within the system.
Santos was tracking him closely, never more than three meters away when Castilla had possession in the middle third. Physical contact every time Kaito received the ball—a hand on the shoulder, a body checking into him, professional harassment designed to disrupt rhythm and test mental resolve.
**[7' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
The first genuine attacking moment arrived in the 7th minute.
Álvaro Carrillo at right-back received from Marvel and drove forward into space that Talavera's left-winger, Dani Vega, had vacated by pressing too aggressively. Fifteen meters of open grass beckoned. Carrillo accelerated into it, drawing Talavera's left-back, Jorge Medina, out of position to close him down.
This created space inside—the gap Medina had left by stepping up to press.
Carrillo's cross-field pass was perfectly weighted, forty meters through the air, dropping into the space where Kaito had already begun moving. The ball arrived at head height. Kaito's first touch controlled it on his chest, killing the pace, bringing it down to his feet in one smooth motion.
Santos arrived a split-second later, stepping in to apply pressure. But Kaito had already assessed his options during the ball's flight—David Jiménez, the right-winger, was checking inside toward the penalty area. The passing lane was tight but available.
Kaito's pass threaded through the gap between Santos and the covering center-back, weighted perfectly into David Jiménez's path.
**MARTÍNEZ (Spanish):** "¡Kaito! Buen pase al espacio—Jiménez! ¡DISPARO!"
*(Kaito! Good pass into space—Jiménez! SHOT!)*
David Jiménez took one touch to set himself and struck with his right foot from sixteen meters out. The shot was well-hit, rising toward the top corner with good pace.
Roberto Sánchez in Talavera's goal reacted well, diving full stretch to his right, getting a strong hand to the ball and pushing it wide for a corner.
**TAKAHASHI (Japanese):** "おお!黒澤からのパスでシュートチャンス!惜しい!"
*(Oh! Shot chance from Kurosawa's pass! Close!)*
The Castilla fans applauded—three thousand voices acknowledging the first real moment of danger.
Kaito jogged toward the corner flag with the rest of his teammates, his heart still racing from the intensity of that sequence. His pass had created a genuine scoring opportunity. First significant contribution of his professional career.
Santos jogged past him on the way to defending the corner, and their eyes met briefly. The Talavera midfielder's expression was unreadable, but the message was clear: *You got past me once. It won't happen again.*
**[8' - CORNER KICK - REAL MADRID CASTILLA]**
Antonio David stood over the corner kick on the right side, waiting for the referee's whistle. Inside the penalty area, bodies jostled for position—Marvel and Asencio attacking the near and far posts respectively, Talavera's center-backs marking them tightly. Moreno, Talavera's tall striker, had dropped back to defend, his aerial ability too valuable to waste by leaving him upfield.
The whistle blew. Antonio's delivery curled toward the near post with pace and accuracy.
Marvel made his run, timing it perfectly, meeting the ball with a glancing header that redirected it toward goal.
Roberto Sánchez reacted instinctively, getting his body behind the effort and catching it cleanly despite the deflection making the trajectory difficult to read.
**DELGADO (Spanish):** "Buena cabeza de Marvel pero mejor parada de Roberto Sánchez. Talavera sobrevive el primer susto."
*(Good header from Marvel but better save from Roberto Sánchez. Talavera survives the first scare.)*
The goalkeeper distributed quickly, rolling the ball to his right-back Muñoz before Castilla could organize their defensive shape.
**[9' - COUNTER-ATTACK OPPORTUNITY - TALAVERA]**
This was the moment Talavera had been waiting for—Castilla momentarily disorganized after the corner, several players still in advanced positions, space available to exploit if they could move the ball quickly enough.
Muñoz played it forward to Carlos Ruiz on the right wing. Ruiz took one touch and launched a long diagonal ball toward Moreno, who'd stayed upfield during the corner specifically for this scenario.
The pass was slightly overhit. Asencio, reading the trajectory perfectly, stepped across Moreno and headed the ball clear with authority.
Chema collected the second ball in midfield, and just like that the danger was over. Castilla back in possession. Talavera dropping back into their defensive shape.
**[12' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
**POSSESSION: Castilla 68% - 32% Talavera
SHOTS: Castilla 1(1) - 0(0) Talavera**
The match settled into its fundamental rhythm—Castilla probing patiently with possession, Talavera defending compact and looking to counter when opportunities presented themselves. Neither team had created clear-cut chances yet, but the pattern of play was establishing itself clearly.
Kaito was growing into the match gradually, his nervous energy from kickoff being replaced by competitive focus. Santos continued tracking him closely, making physical contact on every reception, but Kaito was adjusting to the pressure. Learning to receive on the half-turn when possible. Playing the ball quickly when the angle didn't allow him to face forward. Using movement to create space before the ball arrived rather than trying to beat Santos after receiving under pressure.
Professional football at processing speed, making dozens of micro-decisions every minute based on constantly changing tactical situations.
**[15' - TACTICAL FOUL - YELLOW CARD]**
The first booking of the match came in the 15th minute and surprised no one who'd read the scouting reports.
Castilla won possession in midfield through Chema's interception and transitioned quickly. Antonio David drove forward with the ball, drawing Talavera's defensive midfielder Luis Fernández toward him, creating space for Kaito to exploit on the left.
Antonio's pass was perfectly weighted into Kaito's path. One touch to control, and suddenly Kaito had fifteen meters of space ahead of him with only Talavera's center-backs between him and the penalty area.
Santos, caught out of position by the quick transition, had two choices: let Kaito run at his defense, or stop the attack illegally.
He chose the latter.
The challenge came from behind—Santos's hand grabbing Kaito's shoulder, then his body checking into Kaito's back with enough force to send the smaller player stumbling forward. Not violent, but deliberately designed to prevent the attack from developing.
Professional foul. Textbook yellow card.
**TWEET!**
The referee's whistle was immediate. His hand went to his breast pocket.
**MARTÍNEZ (Spanish):** "¡Tarjeta amarilla para Santos! La primera del partido. Falta táctica clara para parar el contraataque..."
*(Yellow card for Santos! The first of the match. Clear tactical foul to stop the counter...)*
**NAKAMURA (Japanese):** "サントスにイエローカード.海斗への背後からのファウルです."
*(Yellow card to Santos. Foul from behind on Kaito.)*
Santos didn't argue, accepting the card with a professional nod and backing away from the referee. He knew exactly what he'd done and why. The calculation was simple—give away a free kick forty meters from goal rather than let Castilla's creative midfielder run at your defense in transition.
But now he was walking a tightrope. One more tactical foul, one moment of poor discipline, and he'd be off the pitch. Talavera couldn't afford to play with ten men for seventy-five minutes.
Kaito picked himself up off the turf, brushing grass off his white shorts. Santos was already ten meters away, positioning himself for the free kick, carefully avoiding eye contact.
**[16' - FREE KICK - REAL MADRID CASTILLA]**
Antonio David stood over the free kick, approximately thirty-eight meters from Talavera's goal. Too far for a direct shot with any realistic chance of scoring, but close enough that a well-delivered ball could create danger in the penalty area.
Talavera organized their defensive wall—four players standing shoulder to shoulder, ten meters from the ball. The rest of their team dropped into a compact defensive shape, everyone behind the ball, prepared to defend the set piece with numbers.
The referee's whistle gave permission to take the kick.
Antonio's delivery was aimed toward the back post, a high floated ball designed to pick out Marvel or Asencio making late runs into the area.
Pablo Hernández, Talavera's experienced captain, read the trajectory perfectly and headed the ball clear before any Castilla player could attack it.
The clearance landed at Chema's feet twenty-five meters out. He controlled and recycled possession back to Marvel. The attack reset. Talavera breathed.
**[19' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
**POSSESSION: Castilla 69% - 31% Talavera
SHOTS: Castilla 2(1) - 0(0) Talavera
CORNERS: Castilla 1 - 0 Talavera**
Nineteen minutes played and the match was following its expected script almost perfectly. Castilla dominant in possession but struggling to break down Talavera's organized defense. Talavera compact and disciplined, conceding territory but protecting the penalty area effectively.
The question was how long Talavera could maintain this level of defensive organization. Professional teams defending deep for ninety minutes inevitably made mistakes—concentration lapsed, legs got heavy, gaps appeared. But they'd been solid so far, and Castilla hadn't yet found the key to unlock them.
**[22' - FIRST GENUINE CHANCE - KAITO INVOLVEMENT]**
The breakthrough nearly came in the 22nd minute through a moment of technical quality that justified every euro Real Madrid had spent on their Japanese midfielder.
The buildup was patient—twelve passes moving the ball from right to left, Talavera's defensive shape shifting across the pitch to track the ball's movement. When Diego Aguado at left-back received and played it inside to Chema, Talavera's entire team had been pulled toward the left side of the pitch.
Chema's pass to Kaito was slightly behind him, forcing Kaito to check his run. Santos was tight on his back, physical presence making it impossible to turn forward.
But Kaito had seen something developing during the buildup that Santos, focused entirely on the ball and the player in front of him, had missed.
Antonio David had drifted wide right, exploiting the space Talavera's shape had vacated by over-shifting to the left. Completely unmarked. Forty meters away across the width of the pitch.
Kaito's first touch took the ball across his body with the outside of his left foot, creating just enough separation from Santos to attempt the pass. His second touch was a driven diagonal ball, traveling forty meters through the air with perfect weight and accuracy, dropping exactly into Antonio David's path on the far side.
**DELGADO (Spanish):** "¡Qué pase de Kaito! Cambio de juego perfecto—Antonio David completamente solo!"
*(What a pass from Kaito! Perfect switch—Antonio David completely alone!)*
**TAKAHASHI (Japanese):** "素晴らしいパス!黒澤からアントニオへ!完璧な展開!"
*(Wonderful pass! From Kurosawa to Antonio! Perfect development!)*
Antonio controlled the ball on his chest, taking one touch to set himself as Talavera's left-back Jorge Medina sprinted across to close him down. The angle for a shot wasn't ideal, but the crossing option was available—Gonzalo García making a run toward the near post, Álvaro Martín attacking the back post space.
Antonio's cross was whipped in with pace and accuracy, aiming for Gonzalo's run.
The striker timed his movement perfectly, evading his marker and meeting the ball with a glancing header that redirected it toward goal from eight meters out.
Roberto Sánchez reacted brilliantly, diving low to his left and getting a strong hand to push the ball wide for another corner.
**MARTÍNEZ (Spanish):** "¡OOOOOH! ¡Qué parada! Roberto Sánchez mantiene el marcador en cero. Pero qué jugada de Castilla—ese pase de Kurosawa fue excelente!"
*(OOOOOH! What a save! Roberto Sánchez keeps the score at zero. But what a play from Castilla—that pass from Kurosawa was excellent!)*
The Castilla fans were on their feet, applauding the quality of the chance even though it hadn't resulted in a goal. That was real football—moments of brilliance that created danger, followed by moments of brilliance that prevented goals. The margins were razor-thin at this level.
Kaito jogged forward to support the corner kick, and several teammates—Antonio, Gonzalo, Chema—acknowledged his pass with nods or brief words of encouragement. Professional recognition. *Good ball. Keep doing that.*
**[23' - CORNER KICK - REAL MADRID CASTILLA]**
Antonio took the corner again, this time aiming for the near post where Asencio had timed his run.
The delivery was dangerous, but Pablo Hernández got his body in front of Asencio and headed clear before the Castilla captain could attack the ball.
The clearance fell to Talavera's right-winger Carlos Ruiz, who immediately looked to launch a counter-attack. His pass forward toward Moreno was ambitious, trying to catch Castilla's defense high up the pitch.
But Marvel read it perfectly, stepping in front of Moreno and intercepting with ease.
Counter-attack opportunity: denied.
**[26' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
**POSSESSION: Castilla 71% - 29% Talavera
SHOTS: Castilla 4(2) - 0(0) Talavera
CORNERS: Castilla 2 - 0 Talavera
FOULS: Castilla 1 - 4 Talavera**
The statistics were beginning to paint a clear picture. Castilla dominant in every measurable category—possession, shots, corners, territorial advantage. Talavera defending desperately, conceding fouls to prevent dangerous attacks from developing, relying on their goalkeeper to make saves when Castilla did create chances.
But the scoreboard still showed 0-0, which was all Talavera cared about. If they could keep it goalless until halftime, they'd have a chance in the second half. Maybe catch Castilla on a counter-attack. Maybe score from a set piece. Maybe frustrate their opponents into making mistakes.
Professional football wasn't always about being better. Sometimes it was about being stubborn enough to survive until your opponent's quality advantage became less decisive.
**[29' - PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION - FREE KICK CASTILLA]**
The increasing frustration from Talavera's physical approach manifested again in the 29th minute.
Kaito received a pass from Chema in the center circle and immediately felt Santos's body pressing into his back. The Talavera midfielder's hands were on Kaito's shoulders, his weight bearing down, making it impossible to turn.
Kaito tried to shield the ball and play it back to Chema, but Santos's leg came around his body, making contact with Kaito's shin before touching the ball.
**TWEET!**
Free kick to Castilla. The referee's positioning had been perfect to see the foul clearly.
Santos threw his hands up in protest, arguing that he'd gotten the ball first, but the referee was unmoved. The contact with Kaito's leg had been clear and obvious.
**DELGADO (Spanish):** "Santos tiene que tener cuidado. Ya tiene amarilla. Si sigue cometiendo estas faltas sobre Kaito, el árbitro podría perder la paciencia..."
*(Santos has to be careful. He already has a yellow. If he keeps committing these fouls on Kaito, the referee might lose patience...)*
**NAKAMURA (Japanese):** "サントスは海斗を徹底的にマークしています.これで5つ目のファウルです."
*(Santos is marking Kaito thoroughly. This is his fifth foul already.)*
Kaito picked himself up again, accepting a hand from Chema who'd come over to help him up. The repeated physical challenges were taking their toll—not injuring him, but wearing him down through constant contact. Every reception of the ball came with a body check, a hand on the shoulder, weight bearing down.
This was professional football. This was what defenders did when they couldn't match you technically. They made the game physical. They tested your mental resolve. They tried to frustrate you into retaliation or poor decisions.
Kaito's job was to not give them what they wanted.
**[31' - BUILD-UP PLAY - NEAR CHANCE]**
Castilla continued probing, working the ball patiently from side to side, looking for gaps in Talavera's defensive block.
The ball moved from Marvel to Álvaro Carrillo on the right, then back inside to Antonio David, who played it forward to Álvaro Martín on the right wing. Martín took one touch and cut inside onto his stronger left foot, drawing two Talavera defenders toward him.
This created space centrally—exactly what the tactical plan had called for. Pull defenders wide, exploit the space they leave in the center.
Martín's pass found Gonzalo García checking short to receive. The striker took one touch to control and immediately laid it off to Kaito, who'd timed his movement to arrive in the space Gonzalo's movement had created.
First touch perfect. Second touch to set himself. Defenders closing down but not quickly enough.
Kaito's shot from twenty meters was well-struck, rising toward the top corner with good pace and accuracy.
Roberto Sánchez dove full stretch, fingertips reaching, and just managed to push the ball over the crossbar.
**MARTÍNEZ (Spanish):** "¡¡¡OOOOOH!!! ¡Kaito! ¡Qué disparo! ¡Y qué parada de Roberto Sánchez! ¡Increíble!"
*(OOOOOH!!! Kaito! What a shot! And what a save from Roberto Sánchez! Incredible!)*
**TAKAHASHI (Japanese):** "黒澤のシュート!素晴らしい!ゴールキーパーのスーパーセーブ!"
*(Kurosawa's shot! Wonderful! Goalkeeper's super save!)*
The Castilla fans roared their approval. That was the closest they'd come yet to breaking the deadlock—a genuine goal-scoring opportunity, well-executed, denied only by excellent goalkeeping.
Kaito allowed himself a brief moment of frustration—hands on his head, looking at the sky—before composing himself and jogging toward the corner flag. So close. But close didn't count in football. Only goals mattered.
**[32' - CORNER KICK - REAL MADRID CASTILLA]**
The corner count was mounting—this would be Castilla's third of the match, evidence of their territorial dominance but also their inability to find the breakthrough from open play.
Antonio's delivery this time was aimed toward the penalty spot, looking for bodies arriving late rather than the early near-post runs they'd tried previously.
Chema made the run, timing it perfectly to meet the ball unmarked twelve meters from goal.
His header was powerful and accurate, directed toward the bottom corner.
But Pablo Hernández, Talavera's captain, threw his body in front of the effort. The ball struck him square in the chest and deflected away for another corner.
Brave defending. Professional defending. The kind of sacrifice that kept teams in matches when quality disadvantages should have seen them overrun.
**[33' - CORNER KICK - REAL MADRID CASTILLA - FOURTH]**
Antonio's fourth corner delivery was met by Marvel's powerful header, but again Roberto Sánchez was equal to it, punching the ball clear with both fists.
The clearance fell to Talavera's Sergio Gómez, who immediately looked to launch a counter-attack. His pass forward was ambitious, trying to find Moreno making a run in behind.
But Asencio had it covered, stepping across to intercept and play the ball back to Fran González in goal.
Counter-attack: denied again.
**[36' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
**POSSESSION: Castilla 73% - 27% Talavera
SHOTS: Castilla 6(4) - 0(0) Talavera
CORNERS: Castilla 4 - 0 Talavera
FOULS: Castilla 2 - 7 Talavera**
Thirty-six minutes played and the pattern was now firmly established. Castilla utterly dominant but unable to find the goal their play deserved. Talavera defending desperately but effectively, their goalkeeper having an excellent match, their defensive organization holding firm despite constant pressure.
The question was whether Castilla could maintain their composure and continue creating chances, or whether frustration would lead to poor decisions and mistakes that Talavera could exploit.
Professional football was as much about mental strength as technical quality. Talent got you to this level. Mentality determined who succeeded once they arrived.
**[39' - TACTICAL ADJUSTMENT - RAÚL'S INSTRUCTIONS]**
On the touchline, Raúl was signaling to his players during a brief stoppage for a throw-in. His instructions were clear—hand gestures indicating that the wide players should hold their positions higher and wider, stretching Talavera's defensive shape even more.
The tactical logic was sound: if Talavera's defensive block was too compact centrally, force them to defend a wider area. Eventually, gaps would appear.
Álvaro Martín and David Jiménez acknowledged the instruction with raised hands.
The game resumed with Castilla's wingers positioning themselves almost on the touchlines, occupying the absolute maximum width the pitch allowed.
**[41' - BUILD-UP PLAY - DANGEROUS MOMENT]**
The tactical adjustment created an immediate impact.
Diego Aguado received wide on the left touchline, completely unopposed because Talavera's right-back Muñoz was caught between marking Aguado and tracking David Jiménez's run inside.
Aguado drove forward ten meters before delivering a low cross toward the penalty spot.
Gonzalo García made the run, evading his marker with intelligent movement, and struck the ball first-time from twelve meters out.
The connection wasn't perfect—slightly off-balance, the ball rising higher than intended.
It flew over the crossbar by less than a meter.
**DELGADO (Spanish):** "¡Oooooh! Gonzalo casi lo tiene! Ese pase de Aguado fue perfecto pero el disparo salió alto..."
*(Oooooh! Gonzalo almost had it! That pass from Aguado was perfect but the shot went high...)*
Gonzalo dropped to his knees briefly, hands on his head in frustration. That was the kind of chance that had to be converted. Good build-up play, excellent delivery, clear sight of goal from twelve meters out.
Asencio clapped his hands from the back, calling out encouragement: "¡Vamos! ¡La próxima entra! ¡Sigan presionando!" *(Come on! The next one goes in! Keep pressing!)*
**[HALF-TIME APPROACHING]**
**[45' - REAL MADRID CASTILLA 0-0 CF TALAVERA]**
The fourth official on the touchline raised his board: **+2 minutes** of stoppage time.
Two additional minutes to try and break the deadlock before halftime. Two minutes for Talavera to survive and reach the break level.
**POSSESSION: Castilla 74% - 26% Talavera
SHOTS: Castilla 7(4) - 0(0) Talavera
CORNERS: Castilla 4 - 0 Talavera
FOULS: Castilla 2 - 8 Talavera
YELLOW CARDS: Castilla 0 - 1 Talavera**
**[45+1' - FINAL ATTACK OF THE HALF]**
Castilla won possession in midfield through Chema's interception and transitioned quickly forward.
Antonio David drove into space, drawing two Talavera midfielders toward him. His pass released Kaito into the left half-space, fifteen meters of grass ahead of him with only Santos in immediate pursuit.
Kaito took two touches to accelerate, his smaller frame allowing quicker changes of pace. Santos was closing but not fast enough.
Inside the penalty area, three Castilla players were making runs—Gonzalo to the near post, Álvaro Martín to the far post, David Jiménez arriving late from the right wing.
Kaito's weight was already shifting to deliver the cross when Santos lunged from behind.
The Talavera midfielder's tackle was poorly timed and desperate—his leg catching Kaito's standing foot just as Kaito was about to strike the ball.
Kaito went down.
**TWEET! TWEET! TWEET!**
The referee's whistle was immediate and emphatic. His arm pointed straight at the penalty spot.
**PENALTY!**
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