Three takeaways from Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid
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Real Madrid kicked off their new campaign with a win last night against Espanyol, but it was anything but comfortable.
Jose Mourinho’s side were made to suffer in Barcelona against a spirited Espanyol side who came out all guns blazing to punish Los Blancos’ shaky defence.
It was a special night in some senses as the likes of Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva, Carlos Espi and Ibrahima Konate all made their official debuts.
Yet, it was also a night that showed that there is still a long way to go before Mourinho’s effects can be seen in the squad. After all, there was not much to celebrate on the night beyond the debuts and a few solid showings.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid.
Reminiscent of last season
Mourinho would have hoped for a better performance. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
It’s as if the manager never changed. A new look Real Madrid took to the field last night against Espanyol, boasting of a fresh start and new ideas, but there was seemingly nothing different.
In fact, had there been no knowledge of Jose Mourinho’s arrival, one would have definitely put their money on Alvaro Arbeloa still being at the helm going purely by how Real Madrid turned up last night.
There were very clear complaints about Real Madrid’s lacunae last season, beginning from the unorganised defence and lack of creativity in midfield to the incoherent attack.
The forwards were criticised for not participating in the press, and the team often left games late to win with individual brilliance.
That was exactly what unfolded against Espanyol in Jose Mourinho’s first official game in charge of the club.
Los Blancos’ defence last night was out of sync and often left large spaces for Espanyol to run into. The goal scored by the hosts was a testament to the same.
In midfield, they once again lacked creativity and control, and it was evident throughout the buildup phase of the game. Barring a few moments of brilliance, the chance creation was limited and the team were left scrambling for a winner until the dying moments.
In the end, it again required individual brilliance from Carlos Espi to seal the win, and Real Madrid just scraped past the finish line just as they did regularly last season.
Vinicius and Mbappe fail to click
It wasn’t the night for Vinicius Jr. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
As always, all eyes were on the team’s two star forwards last night as Real Madrid began the new season, especially after both shone at the FIFA World Cup with their respective nations.
Both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr started on the night, and there was hope that there would be an improvement in their synergy after the break.
The signs the game left, however, were anything but encouraging as both players were far from their best and anything but in sync.
Coming off a run of great form, Mbappe looked completely lost in front of goal and often took away chances that could have been well set up for his teammates.
In 90 minutes, the Frenchman made nothing of an xG of 1.53, took a total of ten shots of which just three were on target and even missed two big chances. In that sense, it was a performance very uncharacteristic of Mbappe.
Vinicius, meanwhile, was very disappointing on the flank as he racked up just one shot all game and completed a meagre nine accurate passes of 13 attempted in 90 minutes. He did complete three successful dribbles, but his success rate was under 50%.
The player barely contributed to Real Madrid’s creativity, delivered no crosses and barely created any chances of importance. His synchrony with Mbappe, meanwhile, was nonexistent.
At Real Madrid, it always is about the big names, and Jose Mourinho must bring the best out of the star duo soon. The signs from last night’s game are anything but promising, but there are indeed still early days.
Guler and Bellingham shine
As ironic as it is, Real Madrid’s best performers last night were in midfield despite the team lacking rhythm and control in the department.
It was an encouraging display from Bellingham. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Arda Guler, in particular, was an absolute standout for Real Madrid on that front as he was seemingly everywhere on the field.
The young Turk excelled on the ball with his creativity and picked out the right passes to unlock Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe. His press resistance also helped the team to some extent and he stood out with his defensive work rate as well.
In 64 minutes, Guler produced three defensive contributions, won five ground duels and completed 93% of his passes. He also made a staggering seven key passes and earned an assist.
His partner in the advanced midfield – Juve Bellingham, also produced a massive shift for the team and was one of the most confident and productive threats for the team in the final third.
Not only did he score the team’s vital opener, but the Englishman made Espanyol’s box his own territory with two shots on target and one off the woodwork. He completed 93% of his passes, 100% of long passes and had two key passes against Espanyol.
The midfield duo, in that sense, were the heart and soul of Real Madrid’s win and are seemingly undroppable in Mourinho’s system. It remains to be seen how the manager accommodates the team’s new record signing Yan Diomande with the duo in the coming days.