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Three talking points ahead of Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD 27
Real Madrid appear to be going through a turbulent period in recent days, especially given their sporting crisis, fitness crisis, and internal tensions.
There has been news that the players are losing faith in Alvaro Arbeloa, as is the administration, and the manager does not have long to turn the situation around.
His first chance to make an immediate impact and difference arrives on Friday when Real Madrid take on Celta Vigo at Balaidos, and he will look to make that count.
When the two sides met earlier this season at the Santiago Bernabeu, Los Blancos lost by a 2-0 margin and had two players embarrassingly sent off. Their mission will be to avenge that result tomorrow.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid.
Deep in a personnel crisis
Earlier today, it came to light that Real Madrid will have Eduardo Camavinga and Raul Asencio available for tomorrow’s clash in what comes as a major boost for Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans.
Even that, however, is only a silver lining to what is a very deep crisis the men in white face in terms of personnel.
Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Ceballos continue to be unavailable through injury, as does Kylian Mbappe who has seen controversial reports float in the media about his situation in recent days.
Rodrygo and David Alaba’s recent injuries add to that list and make it six players unavailable for the team through injury – a number that is simply astounding.
To compound that issue is the situation with suspensions as Los Blancos see an additional three players unavailable through sanctions.
Dean Huijsen, Franco Mastantuono, and Alvaro Carreras will all be unavailable for the game against Celta Vigo, taking Real Madrid’s total to nine unavailable players, leaving the manager in a tricky situation.
No ground to lose
It is very rare for Real Madrid to lose two league games in a row, and the last time that happened prior to this season was back in 2019.
That unwanted record, however, has been equalled by the men in white under Alvaro Arbeloa in their two most recent games, throwing away the advantage handed to them by Barcelona.
Presented with a narrow lead after Barcelona’s slip-up against Girona, Real Madrid dropped points against Osasuna and Getafe and dropped six points in two games, giving away the impetus to Barcelona once more.
Heading into matchday 27, they stand four points behind Barcelona and are already facing a sizeable gap. There is, needless to say, not much more room for error.
The Merengues have a good record at the Balaidos in the recent past, but must back themselves to battle the adversities they are faced with and come back out on top once more.
After all, a five or seven-point gap at this stage in the competition, especially given the form Barcelona are in, will not be easy to bridge.
Momentum that will count
Having lost two of their last three games across all competitions, it is safe to say that the men in white are not in their best moment of the season.
While their campaign has indeed been defined by their inconsistencies and inability to get on a long-running win streak, it has been highlighted in recent weeks.
The results, needless to say, speak volumes about the same but what will be more worrying for the manager is that the team’s performances have been deserving of the defeats.
Having progressed to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, the men in white face off against Manchester City next week and will need as much momentum as they can find for the same.
The time to look for that momentum is now, for a win against Celta Vigo will hand the team a big boost for that massive game.
After all, Celta Vigo humiliated them the last time they met this season and were significantly dominant over the men in white on the night, clinically converting the chances that fell their way.
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.
