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Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad | La Liga MD 24
Real Madrid’s elimination from the Copa del Rey meant that the team did not have any game midweek, handing the squad a complete week off after the hard-fought win over Valencia at Mestalla.
They did not perform particularly well on the night, but they grabbed a 2-0 victory and stayed within a point of Barcelona. This weekend, they have a good chance to temporarily dethrone the Catalans with a win, but the path there will not be easy.
After all, they play host to Real Sociedad who are on a run of three straight wins, and their last defeat came in the second week of December.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, suffered their last defeat in the Champions League in January. As such, they will face Benfica in the first-leg of the knockout playoff as a consequence of the same next week, which could influence manager Alvaro Arbeloa’s selection.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad.
A possible turning point in defence
The last time Antonio Rudiger featured in a game for Real Madrid was over a month ago when they took down Atletico Madrid in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Playing through pain to help the team out on the night, the German international suffered a fitness setback that took over 30 days to recover from, but he is not finally back and ready to contribute.
As relayed earlier this week, all signs point to Rudiger making his return in defence for Real Madrid tomorrow night which comes as a massive boost for Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans.
After all, he has been a mainstay regardless of the manager he has played under and has never been available at the newly appointed coach’s disposal.
Further, there is a good chance he even starts against Real Sociedad given Raul Asencio’s own fitness concerns. In many ways, the game could signify a turning point for Real Madrid’s defence this season.
The backline has been a problem for Los Blancos this season, and the lack of leadership and inspiration has been evident. With Rudiger back, the men in white will hope the veteran can add that X-factor to the department and beef it up sufficiently in the coming games.
Carvajal’s night back?
Real Madrid’s game against Valencia at Mestalla had several key takeaways, but one of the most significant ones was how club captain Dani Carvajal was left fuming after the game.
The veteran, after all, was left on the bench by the manager who opted to hand David Jimenez the start at right-back and Trent Alexander-Arnold a role off the bench – handing him no minutes on the night.
Considering how it was the veteran who returned from injury significantly earlier than Trent and had seen just 27 minutes of action in the month, his frustration was valid.
Since then, Arbeloa and Carvajal have spoken and sorted out their misunderstanding, and it now appears that they are on better terms. In that sense, Saturday could see the captain play meaningful minutes for the first time since his return.
In fact, reports indicate that the 34-year-old club captain could even be named in the starting XI, with Arbeloa having tested him in the lineup in training today.
It could, thus, be a critical game for him in terms of announcing his return and beginning his journey back into the manager’s tactics.
An opposition in fine form
Real Sociedad got off to a poor start to the season, but the managerial change they made mid-season turned their fortunes around astonishingly.
Pellegrino Matarazzo has transformed the La Real team into one hungry for wins, organised in possession and far more clinical in front of goal – a combination of factors that make them a dangerous opponent.
He took over ahead of Real Sociedad’s game against Atletico Madrid early in January and his side drew 1-1 against Diego Simeone’s side to mark a decent start.
They then won against Getafe, Osasuna, and even took down Barcelona with a massive 2-1 win to see them drop points in the title race. Of their five games thereafter, they have drawn one and won four.
Both Real Madrid and Real Sociedad thus enter the clash with managers who have been at the club for just over a month, but while Arbeloa and Real Madrid suffered losses in the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, La Real are unbeaten under him so far.
They will, thus, enter the game knowing well that they can hurt Real Madrid if they bring their natural game.
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.
