There’s a common theme running through this team right now: a lack of execution and a lack of technique in decisive moments. The numbers paint the picture clearly: an xG of 12 across this poor run of results,
and only 5 goals to show for it. That return is unacceptable at the highest level. Great teams and great players consistently outperform their expected goals. Some have been saying it for a long time: a number of these players simply aren’t as good as we’ve convinced ourselves they are.
When Raul, Van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo, Cristiano, or Benzema got into certain positions, you knew it was a goal. That sense of inevitability does not exist with this group.
A draw would have been a fair result yesterday. As bad as the performances and in-game management were against Elche, Rayo, and Celta, Madrid still created more than enough chances to win those matches. And they didn’t take them.
The great Madrid sides of the past two decades punished every mistake. They were clinical, ruthless, and carried a mental edge because of it. This team is too wasteful, and that wastefulness has made them mentally fragile.
