Real Madrid come away with a narrow victory yet again
Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory late on against local Madrid rivals Rayo Vallecano to remain one point off of Barcelona. The Blaugrana, on the other hand, managed to secure a comfortable 3-1 victory over Elche as they maintained their lead at the top of the league. Ultimately Mbappe’s penalty in the 100th minute proved to be the difference between the two sides. Despite Real Madrid securing the three points, it was another performance that showed many frailties as the pressure continues to grow at the Bernabeu.
There are several things football fans will be eager to know ahead of the rest of the season. Firstly, how will the loss of Bellingham to injury affect Real Madrid? How does Arbeloa plan to address Real Madrid’s deficiencies? Will Barcelona manage to maintain their narrow lead at the top, or will Real Madrid have a final say in the title? Find out all of this in our discussion today about the dynamics of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Can Arbeloa save Los Blancos’ season
Real Madrid may sit just a single point behind Barcelona, but their position in La Liga does not tell the whole story of their season. Los Blancos have been far from convincing this season, with many of their flaws from last year showing up in their games this season. This had initially led to the sacking of Xabi Alonso, but with the Basque manager no longer in the dugout, it raises questions about whether it was really a managerial problem. Player entitlement, lack of desire and intensity, poor defensive organization, and a lack of overall team structure have been some of the issues that have plagued Los Blancos this campaign. Arbeloa will have a little over two weeks to try and fix Real Madrid’s problems before their game vs. Benfica; otherwise, they may end up with the same outcome of last season — trophyless.
Barcelona sitting pretty at the top
Barcelona, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying a fruitful season compared to their archrivals. Their system seems to be clicking well, players have great chemistry, and, of course, they are scoring a ton of goals right now, making them a team no defense wants to come up against. They also managed to secure direct qualification to the Champions League last 16 after a convincing 4-1 win over Copenhagen. Their high line may catch them out every now and then, which Flick will be eager to address. However, with their midfield bossing proceedings, they are able to control games and consistently create threatening chances in opponents’ halves.
