It has been an interesting season for Real Madrid, both with highs and several unexpected lows. Falling out of contention early for the domestic title, their La Liga campaign was characterised by a close fight-back against rivals Barcelona at the top of the table.
However, their sights are again firmly set on the final of the UEFA Champions League in Milan against crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid. The aim of course is to bring home some form of silverware for the club.
The Story
Preseason was a success for new coach Rafael Benitez, with his target of creating a unified squad well in the works. Yet it was a poor commencement to the domestic season which would ultimately be the squad’s undoing.
Goalless draws against Sporting Gijon and Malaga, combined with losses to Sevilla and arch-rivals Barcelona sent the Los Galacticos on a downward spiral, despite their success in the UCL.
The dismissal of the Spaniard and appointment of new coach Zinedine Zidane marked a turnaround for the club, which saw them battle until the final day of play for the title, ultimately losing to the Catalans by a point.
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Key Player
In a squad with so many stellar names it is difficult to distinguish the player whom brought the most value to the side.
Portuguese wizard Cristiano Ronaldo must of course be in the ranks with his goal scoring prowess evident once more, totaling 35 goals scored in his 36 La Liga appearances. If that was not enough to prove his critics wrong, the 31-year-old has found the back of the net 16 times from 11 showings in the continental tournament.
He was Los Galacticos’ top scorer once again, yet there were other players crucial to the somewhat success of the Madridistas.
One being the Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, whom had big shoes to fill in the vacancy made by the departure of long-time Real keeper Iker Casillas.
His concentration, combined with his awareness and goalkeeping abilitiesm meant he saved the hide of Madrid on several occasions. Navas’ work rate is commendable and meant that the Spanish custodians time at Madrid became but a fond memory.
The Manager
In true Madrid style, the opening of the season was heralded with the arrival of former SSC Napoli coach Benitez.
His preseason success with the club in the International Champions Cup excited fans and officials alike with the ever present hope of league and European success.
However, the slow start to the domestic season was anything but desired for the side, with many pointing the finger at the Spanish coach.
Their first loss to an in-form Sevilla 3-2, further compounded by the 4-0 thrashing at the hands of the Catalans and a draw with bottom-dwellers Valencia, compelled President Florentino Perez to end Benitez’s reign at the helm.
But the repercussions were still felt long after his departure, with Real 10 points off the pace heading into April.
The arrival of new coach Zidane was the light at the end of the tunnel though, with the side scoring 23 goals in the first six matches of his tenure. The improvement was almost immediate, with 12 consecutive wins from the period between March and May keeping their league hopes alive.
Zidane’s ability to unite a squad mid-season was testament to his near domestic title success, if it was not for the strong finish of Barcelona.
Most La Liga points since Zinedine Zidane's first game in charge:
Real Madrid (53)
Barcelona (52)
Atletico (47) pic.twitter.com/vEygsr3JdK— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 16, 2016
Offseason recruitment
Recent reports indicate Lucas Lima and Victor Lindelof could potentially be heading to Los Galacticos.
Brazilian Lima has confirmed his interest in one day playing for a big-time club, with his performances for Santos in Brazil’s Serie A having been rewarded with a national team call up by Dunga.
Benfica defender Lindelof is also on the club’s radar after his stellar performance this season, with 23 matches under his belt aiding his side’s Primeira Liga victory.
Grade – B-
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