Real Madrid are one of the most unpredictable teams in the world. From scoring five unanswered goals to all but eliminate Liverpool from Champions League (you can catch all the action on Paramount+) contention midweek to drawing 1-1 to a 10 man Atletico Madrid side on the weekend. Results like this one are why Real Madrid are currently seven points behind Barcelona in the league, a gap that could grow due to Barca having a game in hand.
The triumph over Liverpool shows that Real Madrid can turn up for games but they've been too inconsistent to shine in the league despite their tournament success. Some of this is down to injuries like the absence of Rodrygo on Saturday but when Los Blancos have needed their depth this season, fringe members of the squad haven't gotten the job done.
It wasn't really an individual breakdown that cost the team versus Atletico Madrid Saturday, but allowing a goal on a free kick when your team has an extra marker is never good.
GIMENEZ GIVES 10-MEN ATLETI A LATE LEAD OVER REAL MADRID 😱 pic.twitter.com/90lGoh6En2
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 25, 2023
18 year old Alvaro Rodriguez would get Real Madrid's equalizer after being introduced into the match lat but that wasn't enough to push on for the win. Despite creating an xG of 1.65 on 18 shots, Los Blancos couldn't breach Atleti's bunkered defense with Karim Benzema having an uncharacteristically wasteful match.
It almost feels like Real Madrid have already resigned to giving Barcelona the league while they focus on the Champions League. It's a strategy that make sense as well since Los Blancos have a 12 point lead on fifth place in the league, making their place in next season's Champions League secure, but this is a season that could also be an end of an era. With whispers of Carlo Ancelotti heading to Brazil to manage the national team growing louder and Benzema not getting any younger, this could be the last season for Real Madrid's core to win something together.
Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernandez, and Thibaut Courtois are all 30 or older and while young players like Aurelien Tchouameni have been added to help transition Real Madrid into the future, this could be the final season that these club legends are all on the pitch together. If that's the case, who can blame them for focusing their energy in Champions League when Barcelona came out of the gates hot in La Liga establishing their lead early and keeping up their performances over a sustained period? Sometimes, just winning the competition that you have a chance in is enough.
