Real Madrid Edges Past Deportivo at Riazor Thanks to Brahim Diaz's Halftime Strike

Real Madrid edged Deportivo de La Coruña 1-0 at ABANCA-Riazor in a club friendly that was decided just before halftime, when Brahim Diaz capitalized on a counterattack to score the night's only goal. The Whites managed the lead throughout the second half despite Deportivo creating chances to level the score late on.

A Goal in the Final Moments of the First Half

The first half had been even, with more attempts than clear-cut chances at either goal. Real Madrid pressed forward early: in the 10th minute, Antonio Rudiger headed a corner kick that drifted wide on the right side. Eduardo Camavinga tried twice from outside the box, in the 21st and 24th minutes, without luck, while Endrick and Dean Huijsen also had their chances before the break, all off target.

Deportivo, for its part, answered through Lucas Noubi, whose header in that same 45th minute forced a strong save from the visiting goalkeeper. But just seconds later came the decisive play: on a fast break, Brahim Diaz finished with his right foot from inside the box after an assist from Andriy Lunin, making it 0-1, a lead that would hold until the final whistle. The first half ended with that slim advantage for the Madrid side.

The second half opened with a wave of substitutions from both benches, which broke up the rhythm of the match. Deportivo had its best spell between the 60th and 70th minutes, with attempts from Mario Soriano and David Mella that failed to find the target, and in the closing stretch, Miguel Loureiro and Dani Barcia came close to an equalizer with shots that either drew saves from the visiting keeper or sailed just wide. Still, the Whites defended the lead in orderly fashion and did not allow the home side to find the equalizer.

The Numbers From the Match

Real Madrid was superior in possession and in chance creation, though the shot count did not reflect a huge gap between the two sides.

As for the estimated xG, calculated after the fact based on shot locations, Real Madrid generated 1.972 expected goals compared to Deportivo's 0.867, a gap that backs up the visitors' superiority on the field, though the final score ended up tighter than those numbers would suggest.

What the Preview Said and What Actually Happened

The projection published before the match gave Deportivo a 48% chance of winning, against 25% for Real Madrid and 27% for a draw, with a total expected goals figure of 2.93, split into 1.73 for the home side and 1.2 for the visitors. The final result went against that forecast: it was Real Madrid that took the three points with a tight 0-1 scoreline, well below the total goals anticipated, with the team that arrived as the favorite failing to score at all.

What the Match Leaves Behind

For Real Madrid, the win confirms that the team can settle tough matches with a single well-placed blow, even without needing a rout. For Deportivo, the takeaway is the sense of having competed on equal footing for long stretches, especially in the second half, without being able to capitalize on its clearest chances. Both sides rotated their squads heavily throughout the match, which also shaped how the game played out in the closing minutes.