Real Madrid News
Damning statistic that raises concerns at Real Madrid amid dip in form
Real Madrid head into the international break with more doubts than confidence after a worrying dip in form over their last two matches.
Following their El Clasico win, the team has suffered a defeat against Liverpool, which was followed by a draw against Rayo Vallecano.
Are Real Madrid running less than their opponents?
As reported by SPORT, there is a shocking statistic that highlights why Real Madrid have struggled in the past few matches: Real Madrid ran 13 kilometers less than their opponents across these two fixtures.
This is a major physical crisis for Xabi Alonso’s men, who are clearly not working hard enough to outrun their opponents.
In the Champions League loss at Anfield, the players ran five kilometers less than the English side. Just five days later, Real Madrid repeated this worrying trend in Vallecas, covering eight kilometers less than Rayo Vallecano.
This difference effectively means that each Real Madrid player ran approximately one kilometer less than their direct opponent in their last two matches, raising significant questions about the team’s preparation and collective dynamism.
This statistic is even more damning considering the fact that Real Madrid benefited from a massive rest advantage against Rayo.
They enjoyed 99 hours of rest following their Tuesday fixture against Liverpool, while Rayo Vallecano had only 65 hours of recovery time after playing their Conference League match on Thursday night.
Despite having significantly more time to recover, Alonso’s side was still completely outrun by a Rayo Vallecano team that had a heavy schedule, which is indicative of a greater, bigger issue at play here.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
