Real Madrid faced off against Osasuna this weekend in LaLiga, and came out with a 1-1 draw after Karim Benzema missed a penalty in the 78th minute of the game that would’ve likely given Real Madrid the win. This is the first time this season that Real Madrid drop points in La Liga. In that context it would seem premature to be talking about any type of flaw in the squad. However, the draw allowed Barcelona to leap frog them for the top spot in the table. With the way that LaLiga is typically decided, small missteps can literally keep any team from the title.
A quick look at the Real Madrid starting 11 reveals part of the story. The inclusion of Dani Ceballos, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Andriy Lunin in goal proved that “Los Blancos” did not feature their premier starting 11. Mariano Diaz, and Marco Asensio were brought on to provide an offensive spark for the team, and neither of the two were able to impact the game. Diaz had a header sail over the crossbar in the final minutes of the game, but not much besides that. Is the result concerning for Real Madrid moving forward?
These Are The Games That Medium Tier Players Should, Be Able To Solve
Even going back to last year when Real Madrid were able to win both LaLiga, and the Champions League there were doubts about the team’s depth. One of the biggest concerns in that season was what the team would be able to do if Karim Benzema was not on the pitch. The fact that Rodrygo, and Vinicius Junior have both taken massive steps forward is without a doubt great news for Real Madrid. The two of them flanked Karim Benzema yesterday though, and the team still seemed to lack firepower offensively. That’s a one game thing though for Madrid’s front line we don’t anticipate that to be an issue moving forward. What may be more of a concern is the middle of the field.
Real Madrid Is Trying To Rework Their Midfield
The area of the field that looked the most “reworked” for Real Madrid last night was certainly that middle third. Dani Ceballos, and Aurélien Tchouaméni accompanied veteran Toni Kroos to start the match. Ceballos has seemed to struggle in that 3 man midfield for Real Madrid since the preseason. He’s potentially played his best on the right side of a 4-man midfield line. Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde both came off the bench to sure up that Real Madrid midfield.
At this point though it seems like they may end up lacking a bit of talent that a more traditional number 10 that’s willing to get back on defense can provide. That’s a vital role that Luka Modrić has played so brilliantly for this team for years. While it’s commendable that they’re trying to rework that part of the field, and they’ve done successfully to this point they could be missing that piece moving forward.
That Number 9 Spot
It may be unfair to Mariano Diaz to single him out as a culprit for Real Madrid’s failure to win the match. After all, Benezema was on the field, and he missed the penalty kick. The issue though is that Mariano doesn’t seem to be able to provide that spark up front. If the team desperately needs a goal at a vital moment in the season who are they going to turn to? Of course, you could look at last season, and find examples of multiple players stepping up when the team needed key goals. This year though Barcelona can put more pressure on them in LaLiga. The lack of that super sub number 9 could come back to haunt them. Those late game heroics that they found last season don’t look like a sustainable way to play.
