Photo credit: bleacherreport.com
According to bleach report, It was the crucial detail before the turning point.
With 54 minutes on the clock and the scoreboard locked at 0-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, Roma right-back Alessandro Florenzi let fly with a soaring diagonal ball to Stephan El Shaarawy. The winger's first touch put the ball nicely out in front him. It stranded Dani Carvajal too; El Shaarawy was in.
Or so he thought.
As the Roma forward had taken his first touch, Keylor Navas had been rooted to his line; by the time El Shaarawy was ready to take his second, Navas was stealing the ball off his toes at the edge of his area. Again, Navas had been alert. Swift. Efficient.
Two minutes and 20 seconds later, Cristiano Ronaldo put Real Madrid ahead. For good.
From Navas, this was another reminder of how rounded his game has become in 2015-16. Only four days earlier against Athletic Bilbao, the gloveman, at 3-1, had stormed off his line to deny Aritz Aduriz to protect Madrid's lead after Toni Kroos had given away possession. The speed of his movement had been immense, just as it has been for so many of his reflex saves that have formed a video reel rivalling the The Lord of the Rings trilogy for length.
After a 2014-15 season spent almost entirely on the bench by the Costa Rican, the current campaign has been spectacular from Navas—the man who's undoubtedly made the biggest strides of any Real Madrid player this term.
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