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Shakhtar Donetsk will remember stories of a famous win away from Real Madrid forever and a day, but for Los Blancos it will be a dark day in the club’s history and it has several key factors contributing to it.
Zinedine Zidane faces a difficult challenge to get things back on track in the Spanish capital, especially with his next challenge being the little affair of the first Clásico of the campaign.
Given that the French manager has admitted that he has made mistakes with his team’s teams in recent times, losses to Cádiz and Shakhtar Donetsk could mark his second step up front at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
However, is he completely guilty? A significant portion of the fan base suggests no, however there is a significant amount of trouble at the club that was always going to lead to a night like Wednesday.
1. Zidane’s experiments and the absence of a consistent XI
There was a time at Real Madrid when Zidane’s substitute was made up of players of a certain stature: James Rodríguez, Isco, Marco Asensio, Mateo Kovacic and Álvaro Morata.
The current substitutes are not at that level and in a period of recession in Spanish football decisions have been made that have left Zidane with an even weaker substitute than the fans would have imagined.
In a season where matches will generally be every three days, Zidane has been forced to maintain his blind faith in rotations and selection experiments, but up to this point that has only contributed to inconsistent performances and injuries.
Perhaps the most telling factor is that few fans are able to list the best XI in the club that could start against Barcelona in an ideal world.
2. A failed attack decision
Zidane surprised everyone by omitting Karim Benzema from his starting eleven against the Ukrainian team, but what was even more surprising was the fact that Luka Jovic was selected ahead of him.
It must be taken into account that just a few weeks ago, Zidane told the Serbian that he could leave the club on loan, but there he was starting an important Champions League match.
Zidane is desperate to find a way to get Jovic up to speed and pace at Madrid now that he remains, but his system struggles to accommodate a pure center forward whose qualities are far from Benzema’s.
Asensio and Rodrygo on either side of Jovic just didn’t work out, there was a lack of balance and attack momentum.
The lack of service to Jovic was revealing and he is not the player who feeds on leftovers or makes chances on his own, he needs centers.
3. A defense that cannot function without Ramos
Real Madrid will have to replace Sergio Ramos forever one day, and that day is closer than further.
However, it is becoming increasingly clear that this Los Blancos defense cannot even function in games without the club captain present.
It has been an issue in recent months that when Ramos is gone, the defense collapses, especially in Europe. The meringues have lost six of their last seven Champions League games in which Ramos has not played.
Against Shakhtar Donetsk, the central defenders appeared to be at sea with Raphael Varane unable to meet the challenge of leadership.
Alongside him, Eder Militao looked like a child lost in a shopping center, was out of reach and played a major role in two of the three goals conceded by the team.
Any air pass from the visitors looked like it could open a chasm within Real Madrid’s defense, and this is something that simply cannot happen, especially with Ramos’ career in its final act.
4. Zidane made serious tactical mistakes
Few have ever claimed that Zidane is the tactical mastermind that Pep Guardiola is or that José Mourinho was in his youth, the Frenchman’s main strength in his first stage at Real Madrid being his ability to galvanize a squad that had already achieved it. all.
However, on Wednesday night the former Castilla manager made serious tactical errors that cost the team.
Zidane maintains that he will die with the conviction that his team must always seek to pressure rivals, but for that, his entire squad must be balanced and united.
It is a system that cannot afford individual errors, but also fights against teams that have rhythm in attack.
A high defensive line can be caught with aerial passes as happened with both Cádiz and Shakhtar, and both Marlos and Tete had a field day all night.
5. Vinicius Jr used as last hope
With Los Blancos without signings in the summer, Vinicius Jr has reappeared. With Santiago Solari he was used as a player to make things happen but it was not the best solution. Solari depended too much on a player of such a tender age.
Entering the field on Wednesday, it took the Brazilian 15 seconds to score and give the hosts hope for a dramatic comeback.
The problem is that Zidane has never given the Brazilian confidence but with Eden Hazard injured, the coach has no choice but to put all the pressure on Vinicius Jr in the Classic, as Solari did.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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