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Three talking points ahead of Celtic vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid could not have asked for a smoother start to their campaign. Despite a relatively rocky first game against Almeria, Los Blancos have come back strong to dominate their next three fixtures.
They currently top the La Liga table with a perfect score of 12 points after four games. Moreover, they have already lifted their first silverware of the season in the form of the UEFA Super Cup.
Carlo Ancelotti could not ask for a better time to kick off the UEFA Champions League campaign. The men in white are in high spirits and will look to keep their good run going on Tuesday night when they take on Celtic in their first Group F encounter.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of the game in Glasgow on Tuesday night.
1. Unlocking a new objective
Not many people gave Real Madrid a chance to go all the way in Europe last season. The men in white were thought to be in a period of transition, and the pre-season expectations were not as high.
As the year progressed, it became increasingly clear that Los Blancos were in no way inferior to their European competitors. One by one, they knocked out the best sides in Europe just with their never-say-never mentality.
Chelsea, PSG and Manchester City were all in better positions against Carlo Ancelotti’s side at different stages of their face-off. However, Real Madrid found a way to pull off a comeback.
Now, they enter the new edition of the Champions League as the defending champions. With that status comes the pressure of being favourites, and it remains to be seen if the team can continue their high-level performance without the underdog tag.
Los Blancos are in Group F alongside RB Leipzig, Celtic and Shakhtar Donetsk. The group is not the toughest and the Spanish champions are expected to finish on top comfortably.
Real Madrid’s title defence begins in Glasgow on Tuesday night, and they will look to put a strong first step into the competition. Yet, the manager cannot afford to underestimate his opposition on the night.
2. An opposition in-form
The defending Scottish champions are no lucky candidates in the Champions League. Celtic are one of five clubs in the world to have won over 100 trophies in their history, including a whopping 52 domestic league titles. They are no strangers to European success too, winning the UCL in 1967.
If one were to peek into Ange Postecoglou’s side’s recent form, the sight would be terrifying. The Scottish giants have not dropped points in their last eight games across all competitions. The last time they faced a loss was in mid-April and the streak has been running for 18 games.
One can argue that the Scottish League does not offer the same level as other top European Leagues, but the statistics are an indication of the winning mentality of the team. Real Madrid are no strangers to upsets in the group stages of the UCL and will have to be wary of Celtic’s threat.
Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi have been in excellent form for the Hoops, scoring six goals each this season. The former has found the back of the net every 46 minutes. In midfield, Matt O’Riley has been a machine and has five assists to his name.
The Scottish Champions have scored a ridiculous 17 goals in their last three games and 24 in their last five. It goes without saying that Ancelotti cannot take the tie at Celtic Park for granted.
3. To rotate or not to rotate
Given that the team played against Real Betis less than 72 hours ago, the manager will be tempted to shuffle his cards. However, the question remains – to what extent?
Antonio Rudiger was benched for the game at the weekend and has good chances to start on Tuesday. He could slot into a centre-back pairing with Eder Militao with David Alaba featuring at left-back.
In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos are expected to retain their starting positions. However, Luka Modric may be given a deserved rest with Eduardo Camavinga coming in his place.
The dynamics in the attack are not expected to change drastically. Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior are integral parts of the team and will not be benched under any circumstance. The third place in attack could be given to Rodrygo once again, especially after his game-changing performance against Los Verdiblancos.
The key to success lies in striking the right balance between youth and experience. As the schedule begins to get tight, the onus is now on Ancelotti to play his cards wisely.
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.
