Features
Three talking points from Real Madrid 4-1 Mallorca
Real Madrid once again engineered a special comeback to secure all three points from Mallorca’s hand on Sunday. The game at Santiago Bernabeu was closely fought in the first half, but was followed was a ruthless demolition of the visitors.
Vedat Muriqi opened the scoring in the 35th minute but the joy was short-lived as the hosts equalised on the cusp of half-time. Then, Carlo Ancelotti’s men struck thrice in the second half to down their opponents and move back atop the La Liga standings.
There are several positives to take away from the game at Bernabeu but also a couple of glaring problems that warrant urgent resolution. Madrid Universal brings you three talking points from Real Madrid’s win over Mallorca on Sunday.
1. No Benzema, no worries
The big talking point ahead of Real Madrid’s clash against Mallorca was the absence of Karim Benzema. The French international suffered a knee injury midweek against Celtic and was unavailable for the clash today.
There was speculation as to how Ancelotti could fill the void left by Benzema. After all, he was not only the team captain but also their primary goalscorer.
Yet, Real Madrid had few problems without their talisman. Los Blancos put four past Mallorca at the Bernabeu and showed the world that they do not depend on any individual player to score goals.
Federico Valverde opened the scoring with an unbelievable solo effort late in the first half to equalise the scores. Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo took their shares of spoils in the second half before Antonio Rudiger completed the scoring in stoppage time.
Interestingly, all three departments contributed to the goals on the afternoon when the team lacked its central striker. This just goes to show that, if need be, Los Blancos can produce the goals from anywhere.
2. The Brazilian samba
Real Madrid and Florentino Perez have been very active in the Brazilian market in recent years. Unsurprisingly, the team now has several young stars from the South American country with many more in the line to impress.
Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo are arguably the most famous Brazilian players at Real Madrid right now and have become extremely vital to Ancelotti’s plans. It is often easy to forget that the two players are just 22 and 21 years old, respectively.
The duo started against Mallorca and took the pitch by storm. They wreaked havoc in the visitors’ box, often toying with defenders and creating chances. In the end, they had two goals and an assist between them to show their involvement.
Real Madrid’s second goal of the game saw both Brazilians combine in a scintillating fashion. Rodrygo received the ball in midfield and went on a mazy run to take out several defenders from the equation.
He then spotted his compatriot’s run and slid in a pass and Vinicius finished past the opposition goalkeeper to give his team the lead.
In the 89th minute, Rodrygo gave the world another glimpse at his talent. The youngster shook the Mallorca defence with the ball at his feet, leaving two defenders on the ground and another one stranded before calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.
It may have taken a couple of seasons for Real Madrid’s Brazilian stars to develop and adapt to the team but one can now say that the wait was well worth it.
3. Where are the clean sheets?
Real Madrid have already played five league games this season but have conceded a goal in every single outing. The lack of a clean sheet one month after the commencement of the league is worrying, to say the least.
The responsibility has to be put on both the goalkeeper and the defence, more so on the latter.
Thibaut Courtois averages over 2.5 saves per game with a save percentage of 72% in La Liga this season. There was little that he could do in most of the goals conceded, but the same cannot be said about the defence.
Against Mallorca too, Los Blancos conceded a goal purely because of their awful defending. While Kang-in Lee’s delivery of the set-piece was perfect, both Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy were sloppy in marking their men.
Needless to say, it is unacceptable for a team of Real Madrid’s stature to concede from a set-piece.
The clean sheet has evaded the Spanish side for too long and it will be amongst Ancelotti’s priorities to fix this situation. Last season, the team kept 16 clean sheets in La Liga and things will have to change immediately if they are to better that number this season.
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.
