Follow Real Madrid, leader of LaLiga, but it has to change so that the numbers do not sound misleading when compared to what happens on the field. Xabi Alonso’s team achieved an agonizing draw against a brave and beautiful Elche. That is already enough to stop this Madrid team, which gets tired of pressing very quickly, does not find the way to the goal and gets to them with some ease. Xabi Alonso makes changes, searches, tries to send a message, but it seems that there is no real communication. That is only possible when a message is sent and there is a receiver willing to listen to it. Is there one in Real Madrid? He got an absolutely agonizing point in Elche, surprising in the final minutes that were a party, disorderly and vital for the leader. Mbappé was able to run, the team was able to run and take advantage of set pieces and Trent’s passes. At least, when everything was lost (because a defeat was to throw everything overboard so soon) he showed his pride, led by Asencio, to raise a score twice against. That is to say, Real Madrid is alive. The bad thing is that it is also very confusing.
For a start, Xabi Alonso left Vinicius on the bench because this time he had a good excuse (because that’s how things seem to be going)but he also left Fede Valverde, who did not travel with Uruguayo to recover in Spain and who ended up playing. And with those changes, I drew three defenders and Fran García as a winger who was actually a winger.
Well, it didn’t work.
Real Madrid pressed well at the beginning, with the players giving each other instructions, choosing the opponent to score against and drowning out an Elche team that insisted on getting the ball played even though it sounded like suicide. It was a bit of Xabi Alonso’s ideal Real Madrid: a very predisposed team that plays in the opponent’s field and has absolute control of everything that happens on the field. It is an ideal and the objective is to get closer to it as the games go by, not to get further away..
The problem with Real Madrid is that the players forget that pressure, as if they did it to look good for a while, but then the true personality of the team comes out: and that is not to pressure. The problem, that is, the problems, are that, in addition to the fact that pressing is a moment to make it seem like they have listened to the coach during these weeks of football, then in attack the team is weak. Rodrygo has lost his magic and seems like a vulgar footballer, when he is not and no one on the team is capable of breaking. Not Ceballos, who never ends up being what it seemed like he was going to be, and not yet Güler, who doesn’t know how to define himself. Neither does Bellingham, sacrificed but lacking light. Mbappé, meanwhile, appeared in the second half, to avoid shipwreck.
Before, Madrid tried to play inside with a stubbornness that gives a lot to think about. That there was no way was evident.
And in theseElche started to play and Madrid felt insecure. Febas moved with a ease that rivals would love and Courtois appeared again.
The goals came in the second half and it was like untying the knot. Elche scored earlier and that set off the alarm at Real Madrid. It was similar to when the fire alarm goes off in the fire department’s office. Xabi Alonso took out Vinicius, Camavinga and Valverde in one fell swoop, changed the drawing and later Gonzalo, do you remember that boy?
And that was to die or kill, there was no other. Mbappé put on the batteries that he had forgotten before and Trent the good passing boot. Real Madrid took advantage of set pieces. They tied at one, but Elche scored later, as they also signed up for Russian roulette. It was a former Madrid fan, Álvaro. Bellingham scored the second in the rush. With everything it was Madrid, because it came to nothing.