Respected Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has said Real Madrid players are tired and some of them need a rest having played so much football in recent months.
Los Blancos lost 2-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie with Atletico de Madrid on Wednesday evening, their second loss in a week having been beaten at Valencia in La Liga on Sunday. If the friendly against AC Milan in Dubai counts too, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have lost three games in a row.
It is in stark contract to the 22-match winning run that put Los Blancos in a great position in La Liga and the Champions League and left the squad brimming with confidence about winning more silverware this season.
But speaking on Sky Sports, Balague said Italian boss Ancelotti needs to rotate his players more to keep them fresh for the latter stages of the season. He also added that the team’s poor results have also coincided with a dip in form for key players such as Gareth Bale.
“I saw a stat which said that as a team Real Madrid ran less in their defeat to Valencia last week than they had at any other point of the season,” he stated.
“So we are talking of a Real Madrid side that physically seems a little affected. They are also creating less in football terms and there is less connection between the midfield and attack. Added to that there are players out of form. Gareth Bale is perhaps one of them and Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t been at his best for three or four weeks.
“It’s also now only one goal Madrid have scored in the last two games, which suggests they are not efficient going forward either,” he concluded.
Everything you said is true , the players are tired
Body Language says it all Defensive errors still with Real Madrid Ronaldo off the Pace, Benzema Pepe,Ramos James Bale Marcelo roaming around midfield Isco and Kroos at odds with where the ball should Go Bales Game was Pass Pass the fans Have got to Him? Hes a Striker needs to Strike or Miss but shoot for Goals as is Ronaldo and Benzema working assists conventional Football as Wingers are not doing the Job when nobody stays in Defense! They Played and the Tie was Good result at Home, but still let 4 goals Pass Defense is only one Error. or its Old Age Tough as old Boots cannot catch the Flyers!
Markers were More on Bale than Ronaldo tells you something of what Atletico were about! Hala Madrid. Strikers need the Ball!