These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found
here.Here is a new thing I’m committing to this season: Five semi-informal bullet points after each game.
Also, check out the post-game podcast where Sam and I break down the win (and more) for 40 minutes for our Members.
- This was a good win.
I hate to put out such a boring, vanilla analysis with my first point, but I’d like
to call attention to several things. Jose Mourinho rotated heavily. On the bench were Real Madrid’s two starting center-backs, their starting right-back, their best creator (actually, Arda Güler wasn’t even in the squad at all), and their best defensive midfielder. As a result, Denzel Dumfries started alongside two center-backs who didn’t look up to speed physically. All of this was compounded with Vinicius resuming left-wing duties while being a two-way disaster. I am extremely concerned for Marc Cucurella’s hair — will he have any left if he continues to get zero defensive help?
Still, the team found a way. Jude Bellingham and Diomande were fantastic. Fede Valverde was a steam train off the bench. Endrick provided great energy.
It may have been tight, but in the end Real Madrid had an xG of 3.39 (vs AEK’s .78), and outshot their opponent 24-9. Mbappe hit the cross bar; Cucurella had a huge chance. The team created four big chances and scored three goals.
Also: Heading into this game, Real Madrid had won just one of their eight trips to Greece. You take the three points and run!
The bigger concern might actually be this: Should the ‘B team’ (not entirely a ‘B team’ but you get my point) be struggling this much? At some point, you have to rest players. Mourinho has a deep squad. It’s concerning that Dumfries — granted he did have an assist and some good balls into the box with his advanced positioning — can’t provide better minutes. Vinicius has barely played due to his suspension / form. He has to be better in these limited minutes Mourinho is asking of him.
- The second half game-state really suited Real Madrid.
AEK were generally tough to break down. They stayed compact and were dangerous with quick vertical transitions.
Something shifted mid-way through the second half, where the Greek’s decided to chase the game. That was brave but suicidal. It enabled Valverde and Endrick to carry the ball in transition with tons of space, and the way the game was unfolding, it felt inevitable that Real Madrid would find a way to punish them.
- Fede Valverde’s impact.
In his 24 minutes off the bench, Valverde somehow managed to have three key passes — more than anyone else on the pitch — and a goal that was somehow both spectacular and expected.
How do you explain a long distance missile game winner being something so extraordinary yet so ordinary for a player like him? We have to be desensitized at this point to how automatic his golazos are. If you are a defender, you have two options: stand in the way to block a shot (and break your bones) or simply concede a goal. Tough choice.
You may or may not have caught this, but one of Endrick’s first touches of the game was a lax giveaway that put the team in a dangerous situation. Valverde then proceeded to chew Endrick’s ear off, in a good way — and that’s the leadership role he needs to take on. Involved and vocal Valverde is the best. This is not a criticism of Endrick, who honestly deserves a whole point on his own. He was fearless, as always, off the bench, and his verticality and relentlessness threw AEK’s left side into a frenzy.
- Jude Bellingham dominance.
One of the tactical keys to this game was Bellingham’s fluidity and off-ball movement all over the field — something which became extra imperative without Güler’s ball progression on the pitch. Bellingham was masterful in his understanding of where he needed to be to give his teammates solutions. Yes, the goal was cold-blooded, but clock everything else he does out of possession as well as the dots he connects and the wizardry and elegance he displays in tight spaces.
- Dumfries and Vinicius have to provide way better production.
I hate to end this on a negative note, but as alluded to earlier, their form is concerning.
Watching Dumfries defend on AEK’s second goal made my head spin. He had two very clear options: Track Pilios (the goalscorer), or close Koïta (the man on the wing who provided the assist). He chose neither, and instead, inexplicably looked like someone plugged his controller as he casually jogged back in no man’s land. It was one of the most bewildering sequences I’ve seen in a long time.
Look, I am in agreement with putting Valverde as the team’s starting right-back, but, at the very least, it’s time Trent Alexaner-Arnold gets the second-in-command ahead of Dumfries. He’s 10x the player Dumfries is offensively, and is only worse than Dumfries defensively in theory — and even if he is, the minimal (possibly non-existent) drop-off defensively is not worth everything else Trent can bring to the table.
Vinicius was a defensive sieve, couldn’t complete a single dribble, and is a turnover machine. Expecting him to return to form is optimistic. It’s not off the table, but it’s optimistic. It might be worth re-evaluating if those minutes should go to Brahim Diaz instead for the time being — even if it’s for the sheer reason Vinicius and Mbappe simply can’t play together. Obviously, the starting left-wing role should go to Diomande.
Seeing the way both Dumfries and Vinicius played last night is part of the reason I’m sympathetic with players like Cucurella and Camavinga looking a bit all-over-the-place. They had to cover a lot of ground. The stats are telling: Cucurella and Camavinga combined for 15 tackles and 11 fouls. They put in a shift, respectively. In Camavinga’s case, his nine tackles were the most of a player in a Champions League game this season.
