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Three talking points ahead of Elche vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD13
Real Madrid return to action after what has been a busy international break late on Sunday night as they travel to the Estadio Martinez Valero on Matchday 13 of La Liga.
At the venue, they will lock horns with Eder Sarabia’s Elche in what will be a crucial game in terms of them getting back after a string of poor results recently.
While the hosts on the night may currently sit 11th on the league table, they have earned a lot of praise for their brave style of football that is fearless and ruthlessly attacking.
Real Madrid will indeed be the favourites, but it is crucial that they stay alert against Elche’s high press and offside trap, for they have been a thorn in the foot against many of the big teams they have faced this campaign.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Elche vs Real Madrid.
A lack of defensive options
The international break was not very kind to Real Madrid with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen and Eduardo Camavinga all returning early with niggles.
While all three players are available to face Elche tomorrow, the one big name Los Blancos will miss is Eder Militao who was injured in Brazil’s final game of the break.
With his injury comes a problem for Xabi Alonso, for the manager now has only two fit centre-backs. After all, Antonio Rudiger is still out while David Alaba suffered yet another muscle pull in recent days.
Entering the game against Elche, it is clear that Huijsen and Raul Asencio will start but serious questions may be raised based on their performance on the night.
After all, the new signing has not been convincing in recent games, nor has Asensio been solid so far in his limited opportunities this season. A big part of the result, thus, will depend on how the young duo complement each other and hold the fortress.
Trent must step up
While the young defensive combination will look to pick up their level and make a statement at centre-back, there is a similar situation brewing at right-back for Real Madrid.
Trent Alexander-Arnold arrived in the summer as one of Real Madrid’s star signings, but he has been anything but a marquee player for the Merengues so far this season. In fact, the player has struggled to adapt and even break into the starting XI with merit.
Dani Carvajal’s untimely injury sets the stage up for the former Liverpool star to see more regular minutes in the coming weeks, but it is high time the player takes charge too and delivers the promise he sold in the summer.
So far, Trent has been cut significant slack for his performances – first for being a new player who was adapting to the new normal to then for being injured and working his way back.
With two weeks of rest in the international break, there are no excuses for the player and he must step up his game starting tomorrow night.
Away days continue
Real Madrid will only return home on the eighth of December to take on Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu and are on a long trip away from the city of Madrid until then.
Their trip away from home began at Anfield with a result that is kind to them, for they should have lost by a margin far more than the 1-0 that Liverpool registered on the night.
Los Blancos then travelled away to Vallecas to take on Rayo Vallecano and were frustrated once again as they had to settle for a draw and drop points in the league title race.
Having dropped points in both their away games before the international break, Los Blancos will look to get off to a winning start after the hiatus tomorrow. After all, each of their next four games are on the road.
After taking on Elche, the men in white will face off against Olympiacos, Girona and Athletic Club away from home in the coming weeks and face a crucial spell that could dictate their season. Getting off on the right foot is crucial.
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.
