Real Madrid News
Dressing room murmurs says summer signing is not realising his importance as Real Madrid’s top recruits this season
Real Madrid’s recent defeat to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League was not one many saw coming, especially given the form of both teams heading into the game.
While Los Blancos were entering the game having beaten Barcelona and Juventus in recent weeks, Arne Slot’s men were in a disastrous run of form and had everything against them.
Yet, the Premier League giants dominated Real Madrid for the better part of the game, created the better chances, and could well have won by a greater margin had it not been for some audacious saves by Thibaut Courtois.
Star signing invisible
The game at Anfield earlier in the week was a special one for Trent Alexander-Arnold in particular for it marked his return to the venue for the first time since his departure from Liverpool.
The star-signing, however, was completely invisible after coming on as a substitute and offered nothing of substance, once again raising concerns about his level.
As relayed by El Larguero in a recent update, figures inside the dressing room now have a growing feeling that Alexander-Arnold has still not realised that he is one of Real Madrid’s star signings of the season.
The player, after all, has operated at a level far below what he is known for and has yet to establish synergy with his new teammates. There has been nothing to celebrate about his spell at the club so far.
It is indeed harsh to judge the player so early on in his time at the club, especially given that the game at Anfield was his first one after a long injury break and that he played just nine minutes on the night.
Yet, it is clear that the player still has to work on his defensive contributions, participation in the buildup play, and understanding with the forwards to recreate the same impact that he became famous for.
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.
