When the Spanish season began, Real Madrid looked streets ahead of their bitter rivals Barcelona.
They proved their superiority on the field, beating Lionel Messi and company 5-1 on aggregate in the Spanish Supercopa, and as reigning La Liga and European champions, they were expected to conquer all before them.
Fast forward a little over a month later, and all is not well at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid have failed to win any of their opening three home games, the latest setback a shock 1-0 home loss to Real Betis on Wednesday. They’re seven points behind Barcelona, who, far from looking like a club in crisis, lead the league at the moment.
What’s ailing Zinedine Zidane’s men? Here are four reasons for Real Madrid’s poor form…
LADY LUCK NOT SMILING
For much of last season, it was often begrudgingly asserted that Zinedine Zidane was a lucky manager as his team scraped a series of results they didn’t deserve. But karma is fickle and now the wheel has turned full circle, with the fact that Los Blancos didn’t score against Real Betis despite 27 goal attempts suggesting they didn’t exactly benefit from fortune.
Gloating Barcelona fans, naturally, will be delighted that what goes around sometimes comes around.
Luck has not been on Madrid’s side so far this season.
ATTACKING INCONSISTENCY
It obviously doesn’t help that of Madrid’s ‘BBC’ strike force, Karim Benzema is injured, Cristiano Ronaldo missed the first four league games through suspension and Gareth Bale has been maddeningly inconsistent.
The trio have all been well below their usual high standards for differing reasons, and Zidane needs them back to their best as soon as possible – especially as his other forward, Borja Mayoral, is only 20 and therefore can’t be expected to deliver every week.
Madrid’s strike force has not been at its best.
HOME DISCOMFORTS
It’s perhaps no coincidence that Madrid’s dropped points so far this season have all come in home games, because the Bernabeu can be a daunting venue for home players as much as visitors. Isco admitted after the Betis loss that if his team doesn’t score early, anxiety sets in among the crowd. This atmosphere, along with the extreme eagerness of some fans to jeer players such as Gareth Bale, certainly doesn’t help in close-fought games.
Real Betis handed Madrid a rare home loss.
ZIDANE’S USE OF THE BENCH
Madrid fans were left perplexed on Wednesday night: with their team chasing a victory against Real Betis, Zidane substituted Luka Modric and Isco even though they have been the team’s most creative players all season.
The French coach is often criticised for a supposed lack of tactical nous, and such strange decisions – which look even stranger when they don’t come off – leave him wide open to allegations that he is a poor game manager.
Zidane’s substitutions have been called into question.