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The Real Madrid squad has been in constant evolution since Milorad Mazic blew the final whistle of the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool.
The immediate departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane suggested that a new era was beginning for Los Blancos, who had just become European champions for the third year in a row.
Yet two and a half years into this new era, Real Madrid has regressed and lost its place among the continent’s elite teams.
Zidane may have returned to the bench, but the squad is not the same.
Disappointing signings
Real Madrid spent the 100 million euros it received from Cristiano Ronaldo on Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes and, although the two Brazilians are very promising players, right now they are not going to win you a Champions League.
Vinicius has already played 83 games for Los Blancos at the age of 20, but has scored 11 goals in that time. As for Rodrygo, he is not prepared to assume the scoring responsibilities of the team, although his numbers, eight goals in 37 games, are good.
The two forwards signings from Kiev, Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz, have failed to challenge Karim Benzema for a place in the squad, nor have they provided as many goals as Cristiano.
Eden Hazard has been the biggest signing in recent years, but injuries have devastated his career at Real Madrid since he arrived for € 100m from Chelsea in the summer of 2019.
In defense, neither Eder Militao (50 million euros from Porto) nor Álvaro Odriozola (40 million euros from Real Sociedad) have made a hole in the side.
Players who haven’t made the leap
After Cristiano left, Real Madrid expected much more from Marco Asensio. The 2018/19 season was not a good one for him, while he missed most of the 2019/20 campaign with a serious knee injury.
Since the start of the 2018/19 season, Asensio has scored nine goals in 66 games, which is not bad, but he is not up to the high standards of Real Madrid either. However, goals could still come as he regains form and form.
Meanwhile, Raphael Varane was expected to be a leader in this new Real Madrid squad and, although he has worn the bracelet on occasion, he is not yet in that position. High-profile mistakes have damaged his reputation in recent months.
The only revelation
Of the team that started that final in Kiev, Fede Valverde is the only player who has brought something new to the fold. The Uruguayan has already made his way into the midfield trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Players who have lost the spark
Marcelo and Isco were at the heart of Real Madrid’s three consecutive Champions League wins, but their performances have declined since.
Santiago Solari had already warned them during his tenure and, while Zidane has tried to regain his form, the two experienced players have not responded.
Two key veterans
Sergio Ramos and Benzema continue to be the backbone of this Real Madrid. They have accepted leadership and scorer roles since Cristiano left, increasing their performance in front of goal.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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