Another El Clásico has come and gone, this time with an obvious and deserving winner. Real Madrid have suffered their second consecutive defeat of the season by a whopping 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu. This is their biggest loss against FC Barcelona since the 5-0 in the Mourinho era back in November 2010. Just like after every big match, a period of reflection kicks off, especially for the loser.
This season has been a bit strange for Los Blancos, as they started off in a mixed state. While they won a good number of matches, the lack of goals was something that seemed to be serious at given moments. In addition, opponents had an easy time approaching Navas or Casilla, creating an alarming number of goal opportunities. Now with two losses against two top teams, these problems have become more critical.
Aside from these past two games, the other two high-profile rivals could’ve also ended up costing Real the three points. With the only exception of the PSG game at Paris, the second leg at home and the away game at Atlético showcased the same symptoms seen during El Clásico. On top of that, this is the team’s second 4-0 downfall of the calendar year, as the city rivals did that at the Vicente Calderón.
It’s been an unwritten law in recent seasons that Ronaldo and company only react when they concede a goal. Frequently this reaction helps to turn around the result, yet a significant portion wound up in disaster. No matter if Mourinho, Ancelotti or Benítez lead the team, the big games are very difficult.
Clearly the team is going through a poor streak that needs to be overcome. This is when you can truly measure the strength of a squad. Navas no longer seems invincible and Ronaldo no longer seems like the savior. The best for Real is to come together, define their problems and work as a unit to find the solutions before this gets worse.
