Features
Three takeaways from Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid kicked off their new campaign with a win last night against Espanyol, but it was anything but comfortable.
Jose Mourinho’s side were made to suffer in Barcelona against a spirited Espanyol side who came out all guns blazing to punish Los Blancos’ shaky defence.
It was a special night in some senses as the likes of Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva, Carlos Espi and Ibrahima Konate all made their official debuts.
Yet, it was also a night that showed that there is still a long way to go before Mourinho’s effects can be seen in the squad. After all, there was not much to celebrate on the night beyond the debuts and a few solid showings.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid.
Reminiscent of last season
It’s as if the manager never changed. A new look Real Madrid took to the field last night against Espanyol, boasting of a fresh start and new ideas, but there was seemingly nothing different.
In fact, had there been no knowledge of Jose Mourinho’s arrival, one would have definitely put their money on Alvaro Arbeloa still being at the helm going purely by how Real Madrid turned up last night.
There were very clear complaints about Real Madrid’s lacunae last season, beginning from the unorganised defence and lack of creativity in midfield to the incoherent attack.
The forwards were criticised for not participating in the press, and the team often left games late to win with individual brilliance.
That was exactly what unfolded against Espanyol in Jose Mourinho’s first official game in charge of the club.
Los Blancos’ defence last night was out of sync and often left large spaces for Espanyol to run into. The goal scored by the hosts was a testament to the same.
In midfield, they once again lacked creativity and control, and it was evident throughout the buildup phase of the game. Barring a few moments of brilliance, the chance creation was limited and the team were left scrambling for a winner until the dying moments.
In the end, it again required individual brilliance from Carlos Espi to seal the win, and Real Madrid just scraped past the finish line just as they did regularly last season.
Vinicius and Mbappe fail to click
As always, all eyes were on the team’s two star forwards last night as Real Madrid began the new season, especially after both shone at the FIFA World Cup with their respective nations.
Both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr started on the night, and there was hope that there would be an improvement in their synergy after the break.
The signs the game left, however, were anything but encouraging as both players were far from their best and anything but in sync.
Coming off a run of great form, Mbappe looked completely lost in front of goal and often took away chances that could have been well set up for his teammates.
In 90 minutes, the Frenchman made nothing of an xG of 1.53, took a total of ten shots of which just three were on target and even missed two big chances. In that sense, it was a performance very uncharacteristic of Mbappe.
Vinicius, meanwhile, was very disappointing on the flank as he racked up just one shot all game and completed a meagre nine accurate passes of 13 attempted in 90 minutes. He did complete three successful dribbles, but his success rate was under 50%.
The player barely contributed to Real Madrid’s creativity, delivered no crosses and barely created any chances of importance. His synchrony with Mbappe, meanwhile, was nonexistent.
At Real Madrid, it always is about the big names, and Jose Mourinho must bring the best out of the star duo soon. The signs from last night’s game are anything but promising, but there are indeed still early days.
Guler and Bellingham shine
As ironic as it is, Real Madrid’s best performers last night were in midfield despite the team lacking rhythm and control in the department.
Arda Guler, in particular, was an absolute standout for Real Madrid on that front as he was seemingly everywhere on the field.
The young Turk excelled on the ball with his creativity and picked out the right passes to unlock Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe. His press resistance also helped the team to some extent and he stood out with his defensive work rate as well.
In 64 minutes, Guler produced three defensive contributions, won five ground duels and completed 93% of his passes. He also made a staggering seven key passes and earned an assist.
His partner in the advanced midfield – Juve Bellingham, also produced a massive shift for the team and was one of the most confident and productive threats for the team in the final third.
Not only did he score the team’s vital opener, but the Englishman made Espanyol’s box his own territory with two shots on target and one off the woodwork. He completed 93% of his passes, 100% of long passes and had two key passes against Espanyol.
The midfield duo, in that sense, were the heart and soul of Real Madrid’s win and are seemingly undroppable in Mourinho’s system. It remains to be seen how the manager accommodates the team’s new record signing Yan Diomande with the duo in the coming days.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
