The story so far
Contrary to common notions of the club, recent results have been mixed for the Madridistas. This includes a 3-2 loss to Sevilla, a 4-0 thrashing by arch rivals Barcelona and a 1-0 loss to Villarreal. However, there were also resounding scorelines in their favour with the recent 10-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano prior to the festive break.
What is common even just by reading such results, is the notion that despite the arsenal of elite players at the club, Real seems to struggle against the bigger teams. Their style of play has become predictable to their illustrious opposition, as the Los Blancos midfield is broken down and then restricted of time and space. As a result, the attacking flow of the side is thrown out of rhythm. This, coupled with several injuries to key players and off-field dramas, have all had an effect on the unity and efficiency of coach Rafael Benitez’s squad.
The manager
Benitez, to his credit, has one of the most difficult jobs in the game with a team culture which demands continual success. This is not always possible though, as demonstrated of late.
A string of inconsistent results has left the Spaniard in between a rock and a hard place with the Madridista supporters, whom are already backing the return of former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.
However, Benitez’s approach has somewhat worked in particular matches – but only against the lower ranked teams. His aim is for his players to begin the match with a high rate of intensity so as to gain the early advantage. Which of course is followed by all manner of methods to get in behind the defensive line, with players such as Marcelo and Danilo moving forward to further bolster the midfield and create more options on the flanks.
Despite this, there have been concentration lapses at inopportune times, causing goals to be conceded and even results to be altered in favour of the opposition.
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Standout player
It is difficult to label one player whom stands out above the rest. It has become a custom for Portuguese wizard Ronaldo to continually equal or break scoring records, whether it be in specific competitions or even club records. Nevertheless he is currently Madrid’s top scorer in their history, yet his attitude in the goal square when the ball is not passed to him most certainly paints a portrait of a player determined to get his name into the record books at the expense of winning with his team.
Karim Benzema is another who of late has become focused and more involved with the side. Despite his off-field drama, the Frenchman has not let it distract him from his importance to the Madridistas by not only scoring goals, but becoming a continual threat in the frontline.
Colombian James Rodriguez as many know is a spotlight performer and especially against Rayo, was on the creating end of majority of the goals scored. Whether he is hitting the net himelf or assisting, there is no doubt the 24-year-old is an asset to his side.
Second half season prediction
Currently Los Blancos are third, two places behind league leaders Barcelona. Expect them to come close to toppling the Catalans from the top position, however with the likes of other newly determined sides such as Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Sevilla, the competition is no longer a two-side race.
Real will be forced to prove their strength and tenacity against such teams, where winning really is the only option for not only the squad but also the fans.
Coach Benitez’s future will also be on the line, with club President Florentino Perez wanting more silverware to add to the already filled cabinet.
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