Features
Three talking points from Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid | Copa del Rey final
Real Madrid appeared to have sealed the win over Barcelona last night in the final of the Copa del Rey when Aurelien Tchouameni scored from a set-piece to put Los Blancos in the lead after Kylian Mbappe had cancelled out Pedri’s goal.
Only 13 minutes remained and the Merengues were surely in the driving seat to seal the title. Barcelona, however, had other plans.
Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres combined to help level the score for the Blaugrana and forced extra-time. In the final 30 minutes, Real Madrid were far from impressive and Jules Kounde eventually capitalised on a passing error to crown the Catalans champions.
Real Madrid have now lost three El Clasicos in a row including two in finals. Their wait for the Copa del Rey title will now have to wait at least a year.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points from Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid.
A result of slacking off
If last night’s game against Barcelona showed anything for Real Madrid, it was that Los Blancos could compete neck to neck with the Blaugrana when they wanted and needed to. The issue, however, was that they didn’t want it enough.
Barcelona had the better of Real Madrid throughout the first half with Los Blancos sitting low and not even looking to steal the ball.
When they went a goal down and returned after the break, however, Real Madrid began to attack with intensity and dominated the Catalans for over 30 minutes.
Between minutes 45 and 75, Real Madrid were clearly the superior of the two teams. If indeed the dressing room has the quality to match an in-form Barcelona, one must question why the player did not dig deep throughout the 90 minutes.
After scoring the second goal which gave them the lead, Real Madrid slacked off and never really got back into the game. In fact, the winning goal that Jules Kounde eventually scored for Barcelona was purely because of Brahim Diaz switching off.
The Moroccan star was far closer to the ball than Kounde who had played 90 minutes more than him, but it was still the Frenchman who had the zeal and energy to steal the ball and score the winner.
Real Madrid’s defeat last night, thus, can be attributed to the team slacking off on a night when it was simply unacceptable. Serious questions have to be asked.
Staring at a season without a major trophy
When the season began, there was a serious conversation about Real Madrid competing and winning seven competitions. The UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup went their way and they looked set to compete on all fronts.
Their downfall began earlier this year in the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona where they lost, after which they went on a slump in La Liga and even saw themselves eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.
The Copa del Rey was thus Real Madrid’s biggest chance of sealing a trophy at the end of the current season. Last night’s result, however, means that there is a good chance Real Madrid end up with none of the three major trophies they have been competing for in recent months.
There is indeed scope for a comeback in La Liga. Barcelona, however, are four points clear and even beating them in the next Clasico will not be enough to mathematically make Los Blancos favourites.
For Real Madrid to not win La Liga, the UCL or the Copa del Rey in a season after roping in Kylian Mbappe is gravely concerning and a mark of a serious mess of a situation. The aftermath could be ugly.
The aftermath of the collapse
The game at La Cartuja ended with Barcelona in jubilance and Real Madrid on their knees, especially after they bottled a 2-1 lead with just 13 minutes to go.
As has been relayed extensively in recent weeks, there will now be serious consequences of the defeat that the administration will not hesitate to implement.
The management, for starters, is almost guaranteed to change now and there is good reason to believe Ancelotti is in the final stages of his stint as the manager of Real Madrid. Santiago Solari or Raul Gonzalez may take over as the interim coach if he is removed immediately.
In the more immediate term, however, the Clasico last night leaves Real Madrid in a tight spot with suspensions and injuries all accumulating at a complicated hour.
Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos and Antonio Rudiger all accumulated discomforts with the Frenchman even suffering a fresh injury and will thus be unavailable in the short term.
The German defender, in particular, has come under serious fire for his unacceptable behaviour on the sidelines including throwing objects at the referee and will likely see a ban of over four games.
Having seen the red card on the bench, his prolonged suspension could render him unavailable against not only Celta Vigo but also Barcelona owing to the nature of his punishment.
Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez also saw red for their reactions on the field and insults to the referee, and it remains to be seen what kind of sanctions they face.
The coming days may see stirring developments in the Spanish capital, for it is clear that a lot needs to change.
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.
