Real Madrid have again proven their strength with a 4-2 victory against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday at the Santiago Bernebau.
Los Galacticos have maintained their unbeaten run under new coach Zinedine Zidane with a red card to Raphael Varane the only dampener. Cristiano Ronaldo was of course on hand to put his side in the lead after only two minutes of play via a curled strike into the back of the net.
The visitors did equalise a short time later with an easy tap-in by Javier Eraso. Yet Colombian James Rodriguez ensured the elation would not last with a characteristic long-distance strike to give the hosts the advantage once again.
Despite the scoreline, the match did not progress as perhaps intended with the visitors having several chances of their own during the first half due to the shaky nature of the Real defence.
German midfielder Toni Kroos scored his first goal of the season via a deflected shot following the send-off of fellow team mate Varane. In true Real fashion, there was one last goal by none other than the Portuguese wiz who made it a brace via a drilled finish into the back of the net.
The visitors managed to score a late consolation but it was not enough to alter the final result which leaves Real one point behind league leaders Barcelona.
Preparing for AS Roma
The long-awaited return of the UEFA Champions League is almost upon us and Real will, without question, be seeking an excellent start to their round of 16 clash.
Their opponents AS Roma have had a mixture of results in the Italian Serie A competition but the addition of young gun Stephan El Sharaawy has given them an added element of strike power and pace. That no doubt strengthens not only their team but championship ambitions with memories of a certain 7-1 defeat still clear in the minds of many.
Los Blancos coach Zidane is adamant his side is content with the performance against Bilbao, saying his side is in excellent physical condition and are more focussed when on the ball.
However the defending is questionable.
No room for shaky defence
Critics and fans alike are no strangers to reading about the gaps in the Real defence left by the pulsating runs of Marcelo and co. However it is increasingly worrying that sides are scoring more against Los Blancos, which, back in the day, was seemingly unheard of.
Zidane is correct in saying that there will always be errors yet they seem to be occurring more often than not, hence forcing goalkeeper Keylor Navas to make more saves than otherwise necessary.
Indeed it is the smallest of errors and lapses in concentration that are costing Los Galacticos and while it is not happening against the lower-ranked minnows, it is occurring in the important matches against heavyweights such as Barcelona.
The second yellow card to Varane against Athletic is proof of these small errors that are made under pressure.
Focus is needed under mounting pressure otherwise the juggernauts of world football will most certainly exploit it.
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