We thought the worst was behind us, well forgotten. This week, Real Madrid won, not without suffering, against Olympiakos (3-4) in the Champions League. And behind it, the Spanish press was talking about a reconciliation between Xabi Alonso and some of his executives, while the relationship between the two parties had been cold until now. This match against Girona, relegated, was therefore the perfect opportunity to launch a positive dynamic after a few weeks of doubts. But the Merengues broke their teeth in Catalonia (1-1), and took the draw thanks to a penalty from Mbappé (67th).
A very bad result which allows FC Barcelona to take the lead in La Liga, while the Blaugranas were dropped after the Clasico. Worse, Villarreal is only one point away and Atlético only two points. In total, Real Madrid have won only one of their last five matches and remain in three draws in La Liga, without facing particularly complicated teams on paper (Rayo Vallecano, Elche, Girona).
A Real Madrid without a playing field
We saw Real Madrid running out of ideas again, not knowing what to do with the ball. Only Vinicius Jr was capable of making some differences individually, but Girona, despite being the worst defense in the Spanish championship, did not have that much trouble defending their goal. Result of the races: many risky crosses which did not find a taker in the area since it was empty and many desperate long-range attempts. As soon as an opponent manages to close the spaces, this Real Madrid seems lost and in difficulty.
And defensively, despite the new good game from Éder Militão behind, who was aligned with the returning Antonio Rüdiger, it is still feverish on the rapid transitions of the rival team. In front of the cameras Movistar after the match, Xabi Alonso did not want to shoot at his players. “We were able to get back on track. The team wanted to come back from this 1-0. We had 3 or 4 situations to score the second and win. (…) I have no reproach to make to the players, there was a reaction. We must continue to be united, we must know how to be self-critical and have the desire to win on the outside. This Wednesday we will have the opportunity to do it in Bilbao”indicated the Basque coach. He knows that in the event of a bad result, his fate could be definitively sealed…
