Whether with Xabi Alonso or with Álvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid’s season continues to be complicated. This Wednesday, the Merengues suffered a real blow by losing 4-2 on Benfica’s pitch in the Champions League. As a result, the Merengue club was demoted out of the top 8 of the Champions League and will have to go through a round-trip play-off confrontation against… Benfica. This Sunday, we were therefore expecting another face for the Madrid team at home. Against Rayo Vallecano, it started well with a nice goal from Vinicius Júnior, but Jorge De Frutos equalized after the break. What followed were sterile offensives and a tense end to the match where the Franjirrojos were reduced to nine with the exclusions of Pathé Ciss and Pep Chavarria, while Kylian Mbappé had the opportunity to score from the penalty spot to snatch a precious victory (2-1).
If the result remains positive and allows the Merengues to stay in contact with one point of FC Barcelona who won against Elche (3-1) this Saturday, the content raises questions and the choices of Alvaro Arbeloa too. At the end of the match, Real Madrid was a caricature with only one professional defender in the eleven, with the only David Alaba, who was accompanied by three midfielders with Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni. Higher up, Dani Ceballos was alone with five attackers: Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz and Gonçalo Garcia in an atypical right winger role. A posture that has difficulty getting across with the Spanish press.
Tactical misunderstanding and distressing performance
“ Less than a month has passed since then, and yet time seems endless. Since then, the coach from Salamanca has won three victories: a convincing success against Villarreal, a resounding offensive victory against Monaco, and a victory snatched in stoppage time against Rayo Vallecano, reduced to nine after conceding a penalty. Added to this is the humiliating defeat in their first Copa del Rey match against Albacete and the painful 4-2 defeat against Benfica, which knocked the club out of the top 8. Beyond the results, the tactical chaos increased », notes for his part Sport. Marca was also tough on Casa Blanca: “ Real Madrid play very badly, but they are the kings of chaos. »
“ In these uncertain times, we go from smiling to sad. And the Bernabéu public, boiling with anger during almost the entire match, only found their joy during the final attack, in the surrounding chaos. He then forgave his team for their catastrophic performance during most of the match. Real Madrid once again played badly, very badly even, and for a long time. But when the match descended into total chaos, he was able to snatch victory and stay just one point behind FC Barcelona », Continues the Spanish media. “ Real Madrid are on the brink of collapse. A penalty converted by Mbappé in added time avoided a new collapse at Real Madrid, booed by its supporters. Bellingham got hurt. Rayo Vallecano finished the match at nine », writes for his part A.S.who believes that if Real Madrid is in the nails, the break is near. More than ever, the Merengues are on a tightrope.
