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Real Madrid suffered the fifth defeat of the season (1-2) against Levante at home leaving Julen Lopetegui on the edge. Los Blancos were again very vulnerable in defense and not able to finish the many chances created. Marcelo scored after 481 minutes of draught.

Julen Lopetegui trusted on Asensio, Isco, Lucas Vázquez and Mariano in the attacking line, leaving Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema on the bench. However, the manager had to put all of them on the pitch in the second half due to the bad first half. Again, Los Blancos missed another striker, failing many chances and hitting the bar up to three times during the game.

Real Madrid needed a calm game after a few difficult weeks. However, the match couldn’t start worst. Morales in the 7th minute put Levante in advantage after a huge mistake of Raphael Varane, who is playing really bad in this start of the season. The French defender was also guilty in the second goal after a hand ball. The referee, after consulting with the VAR, whistled the penalty spot and Roger didn’t miss. In the 17th minute, Los Blancos were already losing 0-2.

The good news is that there were a lot of time for a comeback. Very soon Asensio scored the first goal, but again the VAR said that he was in offside, so the goal wasn’t valid. Lopetegui had to change something in the half time and Bale came in replacing Odriozola. Los Blancos created many chances, especially with Benzema on the pitch, but there weren’t accurate again.

Finally, Marcelo could score in the 72nd minute, putting some hope on Real Madrid supporters hearts. There was time enough for a comeback but, again, the goals didn’t arrive and Los Blancos suffered another defeat. This is the third straight defeat and Real Madrid are winless in the last five games. Too many bad statistics for Lopetegui to keep his job. What should Florentino do now?

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Guard of honour
(Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Real Madrid began this current season on the back of a hugely monumental success, having secured a slice of footballing history by winning the Champions League in three successive years.

Under the guidance of former French coach and club icon Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos rallied to this incredible feat, with the help of the all-time goal scorer of both the competition and Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Such an achievement will likely never be replicated, and certainly not anytime soon, but the Spanish giants could ultimately secure a fourth straight victory. Current coach Julen Lopetegui has a huge task on his hands in order to achieve that, but his main thoughts at the moment will be bouncing back from a slow start during domestic duties.

It was always going to be a tough task to follow in the footsteps of Zidane, in light of his history-making European campaigns, but returning to form and fortunes in La Liga will help sway the fans back on his side and earn a much better reputation in the following months.

The current European champions have fallen well off the pace this present term but they are regarded at 11/4 seecond favourites with bet365 in the La Liga betting to bounce back and prevail outright. (odds were correct at time of posting. Please check live odds prior to placing any bets).

It doesn’t help matters that it’s actually surprise-package Sevilla running ahead in the Spanish league title race at the moment, followed closely by Barcelona, so bouncing back from their early setbacks is crucial in the upcoming weeks.

The Galacticos currently occupy a position in the top four, but they are still keeping close tabs on those narrowly ahead of them. There’s no need to worry for Real Madrid fans but any more slip-ups in the near future could see the club fall off the pace, which Sevilla are setting at the summit of proceedings in the top tier.

It’s still early and Real Madrid have plenty of time to regain form and momentum soon. It was always going to be a big ask to replace the gaping hole left in the squad when Ronaldo sensationally departed for Turin titans Juventus in Italy’s Serie A.

The Portugal international captain had been the main man at the Bernabeu for almost a decade, rallying to top of their goalscoring charts overall and being the vital component in those remarkable Champions League victories across three consecutive seasons.

He is now gone and the attacking and goal-scoring burden has been passed across the other star forwards within the star-studded squad, including Welsh wonder Gareth Bale, France hitman Karim Benzema and Spanish playmakers Isco and Marco Asensio.

There are also plenty of young talents coming through the ranks and fighting for their position, making it an exciting time for the club as they attempt to challenge current champions Barcelona and local city rivals Atletico Madrid for supremacy in La Liga this current campaign.

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Isco-ESP_GI

Isco had urgent surgery on the 25th of September for appendicitis. It was right after Spain thrashed (6-0) Croatia in the UEFA Nations League. The Andalucian player couldn’t play any other game and Julen Lopetegui is missing him. In these four games without the former Málaga player, Los Blancos haven’t scored a single goal, losing three games and drawing one.

Isco Alarcón is now back to work. On Monday he trained for the very first time with his team mates and he looked fit. He couldn’t finish the session without any problem and with the same level, so we can expect him to start on Saturday against Levante. It shouldn’t be a difficult game, but Lopetegui is risking his job if Los Blancos fail to win the Valencia team. Besides, Levante was able to get a point last season at Santiago Bernabéu stadium and they also get a draw against Real Madrid in their stadium, Ciudad de Valencia.

When Lopetegui arrived to Madrid, Isco was supposed to be the centre of his project. When the midfielder wasn’t a key piece for Zinedine Zidane, Lopetegui trusted him in the national team, leading Spain to the World Cup with great performance -especially brilliant against Italy-. For this reason, we all thought that Isco was going to have his best minutes with Lopetegui.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Real Madrid crisis started with his absence. The first game he missed was against Sevilla and this clash finished 3-0. Then Los Blancos failed to beat Atlético Madrid (0-0) and lost in Moscow (1-0) and Vitoria (1-0). Overall, Los Blancos have failed to scored in the last 409, since Asensio found the net against Espanyol (1-0) on the 22nd of September.

Julen Lopetegui has now two easy tests before heading to Barcelona. Los Blancos should beat Levante and Viktoria Plzen at home, otherwise Lopetegui will be at risk. Then, El Clásico will decide his future, as it decided Rafael Benítez fate when Los Blancos were thrashed at home (0-3) by their rival. A similar result will end up with the manager sacked. Isco can avoid all this suffering.

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Jose Maria Gimenez

There are many things preventing Real Madrid to succeed this season. Among all these issues, we have to include the bad sports policy in the last years with signings that are not shining. The defense line is also suffering this issue and the bosses are already having a look at the market to see which players could be available for Los Blancos.

Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane are the full back pair of Real Madrid. No one has a doubt about this, but they need competitors and good replacements in case one of them get injured. Right now, only Nacho Fernández is able to replace them with guarantees. Actually, he is always the first option.

On the other hand we have to mention Jesús Vallejo. The young player has only participated in 12 games in the last 14 months. He has played some good games, but he is suffering many injuries and he is also very shy, so it will be very difficult to see him succeed with Los Blancos. A loan or a buy-back clause could be ideal for him, but this will be in the summer.

Meanwhile, the scouters are having a look at the market to see the options. Real Madrid policy is to find young and good players. They did this with Sergio Ramos and Varane, but they are running out of options. So they are looking for other top players to complete the squad. Some of these names are José María Giménez or Lucas, from Atlético Madrid, Samuel Umtiti, from FC Barcelona, or Marquinhos, from PSG. There are other options with youngsters like Leo Santos (Corinthians) o Mario Hermoso (Espanyol).

Since Pepe´s departure, two years ago, Real Madrid are looking to fill the gap unsuccessfully. Some of the names mentioned above are already very good players, but the cost will be very high. We’ve seen recently how Liverpool signed Van Dijk for a £75m deal. Los Blancos are not willing to expend this much money for a substitute player, especially when the attacking line is the priority right now. However, they will be working the whole season to see what the market can offer them.

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Antonio Conte Linked With Real Madrid

Real Madrid receive Levante and Viktoria Plzen in the next few games at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. If Los Blancos are unable to win one of both games, Lopetegui will be sacked. But if he passes through that week, he would need a good performance in El Clásico at Nou Camp on the 28th of October. These are his next three exams to continue as Real Madrid manager. If Florentino decides to sack him, these are the possible alternatives.

Antonio Conte. Perhaps he is the best coach available. The Italian manager was able to win the Serie A with Juventus, leading the team to a Champions League final. He was also successful as Italian national team coach in the Euro 2016 and he won the Premier League title with Chelsea in his first season. Besides, he is brilliant with tactics, but his strong personality might be dangerous. He made a terrible last season with Chelsea, fighting with their stars. Real Madrid dressing room is very tricky and, even if some players need a strong force to balance their power, this is always very dangerous at Real Madrid. If Florentino wants a revolution, he is the solution.

Arsène Wenger. Being available doesn’t mean to be a good solution. The French coach is quite old fashioned after a life at Arsenal. He left the gunner bench, but hasn’t found a job yet. Florentino wanted him some years ago, but it is difficult to picture him in Madrid right now.

Laurent Blanc. He could be also a good solution. He has a high profile, having experience with PSG. However, he fail to succeed with the French team in Europe and that costed him the job position. He hasn’t worked since 2016 and he likes good football.

Michael Laudrup. As a Real Madrid legend, he has always been available to train the first team. However, he’s been out of the lights for a long time and now he is working in Qatar. His lack of experience in top level clubs could not be an advantage.

Quique Sánchez Flores. Another Real Madrid former player with a lot of experience in Spain but not with big teams. Espanyol was his last destination and now he is jobless. He is tagged as a defensive manager, not the best fit for Los Blancos.

Míchel. He has always been in the spot when the Real Madrid bench is available. His last jobs weren’t really successful, but he might be better in a big team rather than in a club fighting to avoid relegation.

Santiago Solari, currently working in Real Madrid Castilla, or Guti Hernández could be another alternatives. Who would you hire?

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Bale-atletico-madrid

Losing 4 games out of 11 is not a normal thing for Real Madrid. Los Blancos have initiated the season in the worst way possible. The only good piece of news is that we are only in October and Real Madrid can bounce back in La Liga and the Champions League. In this national team break we want to look back and analyze why Real Madrid are in crisis.

Bad Sports Policy Planning

We have to look at the upper part of the organigram to find solutions.Florentino Pérez and José Ángel Sánchez have made mistakes in the transfer window. Álvaro Morata, James Rodríguez, Mateo Kovacic, Pepe or Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in the last two years. However, the players brought have not met the expectations. The bosses haven’t signed a star like Neymar, Hazard or Kane. The squad has lost quality and this is a fact.

Julen Lopetegui

Florentino Pérez didn’t expect Zinedine Zidane’s departure. The president was in shock after winning the Champions League and not many coaches were available. Pochettino, the preferred one, was impossible, so they had to look for alternatives. Julen Lopetegui was signed, but he hasn’t showed his skills so far. He doesn’t have experience while handling big clubs and he has taken very bad decisions these months. Real Madrid tiki-taka style is not working and he doesn’t have a Plan B. He needs to react soon or Lopetegui will be sacked by the end of the month.

Youngsters Not Taking a Step Forward

When Cristiano Ronaldo left, the bosses thought that it was time for the youngsters to shine. Especially, everyone put eyes on Marco Asensio. The Mallorca born player is not shining and leading the team. Dani Ceballos plays one day well and three average. Marcos Llorente, Fede Valverde, Jesús Vallejo… all are not showing the expected level for a team like Real Madrid.

The Stars Do Not Make the Difference

Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Toni Kroos or Luka Modric. All these players are stars and one of the best -if not the best- in their positions, but they are playing really bad in this start of the season. They are making some mistakes unacceptable for their quality. They need to lead this squad.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Wins His Fifth Ballon d'Or

Bale, Benzema, Courtois, Isco, Marcelo, Modric, Ramos and Varane are the Real Madrid players candidates to win the Ballon d’Or Award in 2018. France Football will announce the winner at the end of the year among the 30 footballers shortlisted. Antoine Griezmann is the main favourite this time to win the prize.

Real Madrid is the club with more candidates in the final list. FC Barcelona or Atlético Madrid, for instance, have three each one, but the three Champions League titles in a row won by Los Blancos have too much weight in these individual prizes.

Despite having won The Best Award and the UEFA Player of the Year, Luka Modric is not the favourite this time to win. Antoine Griezmann shows up as the main candidate to bring home the award. We have to think that this prize is given by France Football and France won the World Cup in July. None of the French players have won an individual award, so perhaps it’s time for the Atlético Madrid player, especially after lifting also the Europa League trophy.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won this award in the last decade. The Portuguese striker is also among the big favourites but he left the World Cup in the Last 16 round with Portugal and his performance in the Champions League final wasn’t decisive, so he lost the opportunity to bring home another Golden Ball.

This year the votation will be very tight. There hasn’t been a player outstanding from the crowd, but many might deserve it. Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann, Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappé, Leo Messi or Mohamed Salah could be entitled to win the award but only one would win it. Taking in consideration that this is given by a French magazine and since they won the World Cup in 1998 no one from this country could win it, Griezmann has all the odds to bring home the Golden Ball. Who do you think should win it?

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Another terrible game finished with Real Madrid beaten (1-0) by Alavés, a team with the same points than Los Blancos. However, Julen Lopetegui still says that Real Madrid are topping the table with FC Barcelona and the supporters should have patience. Mariano Díaz and Vinicius Junior tried to change the result, but the lack of quality of this squad was again a reality.

Nacho was Marcelo’s substitute. When Los Blancos had to win the game Vinicius and Mariano jumped to the pitch. Not many years ago, it was Morata or James Rodríguez. The difference is evident. Bale got again -how many times?- injured and he continued in the pitch to kick a free kick. Asensio, who was on the bench, is irrelevant in the play, while stars like Sergio Ramos, Modric, Kroos or Varane don’t look the same.

There is a terrible problem at Real Madrid. Los Blancos have not scored in the last 6 hours and 49 minutes. Four entire games without finding the net, and the last goal came against Espanyol (1-0) in a bad game. Besides, they’ve lost 4 games out of 11 this season, so the feeling couldn’t be worse.

In Vitoria, the team didn’t have a single chance. Los Blancos were unable to create danger, having 70% of possession. No matter if the protagonists were Karim Benzema, Bale, Mariano Díaz or Luka Modric. Pacheco didn’t have to save a difficult ball. Real Madrid look like Spanish national team in the last World Cup. Ball without danger.

And Alavés knew how to play. Abelardo’s team has started brilliantly the season and they have the same points as Real Madrid. The Basque Country team defended very well and counter attacked. Until the injury time, when they found goal in a corner kick with a header by Manu García. Even Thibaut Courtois failed this time. Now there is time for a break with the international games, but Los Blancos need to think twice what to do in this difficult season.

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Real Madrid play on Saturday (18:30, local time) against Alavés a very important game in La Liga to try to top the table. Los Blancos have the same points as FC Barcelona but the Catalan team play on Sunday in a very tricky game against Valencia CF. Despite being in a perfect position in the season, Julen Lopetegui is already risking his job. Is this possible?

Real Madrid manager was asked about this circumstance in the press conference before the game. Lopetegui tried to defend his work and he doesn’t feel his position is at risk: “We don’t analyze what people think. We work on a daily basis to improve. It’s true that the club goals are untouched. We want to improve, like all the teams”, the manager said.

Lopetegui is the worst coach so far in the Florentino Pérez era. He has lost 3 out of 10 games during this start of the season, so this is the 30% of the games. Although the sensations are not as bad as the numbers, people are allowed to doubt about the manager. Within the same games, Rafa Benítez hadn’t lost a single game and he was fired in early January.

There are some similarities between Rafa Benítez and Julen Lopetegui but also many differences. Lopetegui is trying to play good football and the team has reached the goals sometimes -especially against AS Roma-. Besides, he has a poorer squad and many problems with the injuries. On Saturday he won’t have Marcelo, Isco and Carvajal available again. At least, Gareth Bale seems fit for the clash.

This game could be a final for the manager: “I face every game like a final. This is Real Madrid and we work always in the same way”. Lopetegui seems realistic with the situation. It would be very strange to see him axed only after three months of job, but the team needs to improve or he will be looking for a job very soon.

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Real Madrid lost their third game of the season (1-0) in their visit to Luzhniki Stadium against CSKA Moscow. This is their first defeat in the Champions League after the victory against AS Roma and the group is now very tight. Los Blancos are goalless in their last three games, something really unusual with a lack of confidence. Julen Lopetegui is still unable to guide the group in this start of the season.

It’s still early days but the season doesn’t look very well. It was a turning point in the history after Cristiano and Zidane’s departure and after lifting three consecutive Champions League, but the team is disappointing, so is the coach. Los Blancos have the possession of the ball, but they don’t convert the chances. Besides, they are asleep in the first minutes of the game, failing in defense.

Lopetegui chose a very young starting eleven, with Reguilón in the left back making his Champions League debut. Also Ceballos or Asensio were in the line-up, with Luka Modric on the bench together with Mariano despite the draught of goals. But the first mistake came from a very experienced player like Toni Kroos. The German missed an easy pass to Varane, Vlasic took the ball and scored the first goal. It was the second minute of the game and Los Blancos were already losing against a weak team.

The positive fact was that the team had 88 minutes for a comeback. CSKA Moscow stayed in their box, defending close to Akinfeev meanwhile Los Blancos had the ball with 70% of possession. But there weren’t able to create many chances. Benzema, Asensio and Lucas Vázquez had a really bad day. The team missed Isco or Luka Modric magic and there were no passes breaking the defence.

Despite the bad game, Real Madrid could have drawn or won the match. They shot three times against the bar -especially Mariano had a clear chance at the end of the game but his header hit the post- and Varane missed the last opportunity with another header in the 94th minute.

Real Madrid have scored one goal in the last four games and are winless in the last week. There are signals to be worried and Lopetegui is not able to adjust the team. Mariano Díaz is still on the bench, while Benzema is unable to score a goal or create a chance. Ronaldo could be missed, but these players should be able to do much more.

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