Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder reflects on his costly mistake vs Bayern Munich – ‘Football is unforgiving’
It has been a disappointing season for Real Madrid, with several of their players failing to step up and perform at the level expected.
One such player who has failed to deliver this term is Eduardo Camavinga. Hampered by fitness problems and inconsistent form, the Frenchman has largely failed to convince in a season in which he was tipped to take the next step in his growth.
Perhaps the biggest disappointing moment of his season came in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, when he was sent off in the second leg at the Allianz Arena with the tie in the balance, effectively sealing Real Madrid’s fate.
Camavinga opens up
Now, in an interview with Canal+ (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Camavinga opened up on the moment against Bayern Munich and how it left him deeply affected.
“It was an incident that affected me. I wasn’t expecting it at all. It’s part of a footballer’s career, but after that I completely switched off. We’re better off without social media; it was the right thing to do,” explained Camavinga.
Camavinga reflected on how quickly perception can change in football, saying: “Football is unforgiving; you forget ten good matches because of an incident like that.”
The 23-year-old Frenchman also revealed the strong support he received from inside the dressing room and the club during these difficult days.
“The dressing room supported me; they told me it wasn’t my fault, that it was a refereeing error. I took it as my own mistake, but the very next day, the club sent me messages telling me it wasn’t my fault,” revealed Camavinga.
One of the most meaningful gestures came from Kylian Mbappe, revealed Camavinga, as he described how his compatriot stood by him during that period.
“It affected him too. He’d come to see me in the morning and give me a big hug. He wasn’t in the habit of hugging people, although in France we always hug each other. We’d see each other in the morning and give each other a hug,” he explained.
Continuing, he added: “But that was a hug where you could tell he understood what was going on, that he felt for me. I think it got to him.
“When he arrived in the morning, he’d always say to me: ‘Are you OK?’ And I’d reply: ‘Yes, we’re getting by.’ That’s what I always said: ‘We’re getting by, we’re getting by.’”
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
