Zidane’s Real Madrid looking like Benitez’s Madrid

No Real Madrid fan would want to accept this, but the team’s performances so far in this season have looked more and more like the Real Madrid under Rafael Benitez. Here’s why.

Let me begin by saying that this article is not just a comparison of statistics or full-blown heat maps of the teams under Zidane and Benitez.

This will focus on what a fan sees and feels when his beloved Royal Whites take the field. And that fan is not happy, quite anxious rather, from what he has seen of Los Blancos this season.

Consistent Goal-scorer drought

More than a goal drought, Madrid is experiencing what I call a goal-scorer drought at the moment. There are no clear or consistent front three, which means there are no assured channels to pass the ball to when the team is desperately seeking goals. Below is a list of the top 4 goal-scorers so far this season, across all competitions:

Real Madrid’s top 4 goal-scorers contribute 56% of their total goals. And their goals to games played ratio is an average 2.13.

A comparison with Manchester City is telling, especially when they have played arguably the more competitive teams in the Premier League than Real Madrid have in La Liga.

Looking back at the first half of the 2015/16 season under Benitez, the BBC were still relevant. In fact, Benzema saved the day for Madrid in quite a few matches during that spell. However, a goal/games comparison is not relevant there due to outliers like the 10-2 drubbing of Rayo Vallecano and a few other high scoring matches.

Real Madrid was far better on pure goal-scoring statistics under Benitez, a supposedly dogged and defensive coach, and that in itself should be a major cause for concern.

Defensive Woes

One of the biggest reasons for the sacking of Rafa Benitez was the shaky defensive performance of the team under his watch.

They were tentative every-time the ball moved past the half-way line or was crossed into the box. They conceded the maximum headed goals in that period (7).

Now, don’t go looking at the clean sheet records because statistics do lie sometimes. The reason for those clean sheets was Keylor Navas, who was in the form of his life that season. He was arguably the best player for Madrid in that period, with his cat-like agility and reflexes.

So much so that he earned the nick-name of ‘Keylor Paras’, translating to Keylor Saves / Keylor Stops, from his teammates. Had he not made those saves, Benitez would have been sacked sooner.

Unfortunately for Zidane though, Keylor’s form has been turbulent this season, which has exposed Madrid’s shaky defense. Not only is he not making those other-worldly saves, he is making far more basic errors.

Madrid’s poor business in the transfer market and a bunch of injuries to the back-line have led to a nervy defense which is leaking goals.

The statistics don’t lie in this case.

In 15 matches this season, Real Madrid have conceded 11 goals. The majority of these have come through open-play. They have only been able to keep 5 clean sheets.

Dani Carvajal has been turned and Marcelo has been caught out of position a few times already. Pepe and Danilo were replaced with Theo Hernandez and Jesus Vallejo, who are promising but will take time to mature. Ramos and Varane haven’t inspired the kind of confidence that Madrid’s center-backs are required to.

Style of Play

The biggest reason for Benitez being sacked was not that the team was not delivering results. It was that the Madridistas across the board didn’t like how they were getting those results. It wouldn’t have mattered had Benitez’s win percentage been better.

The Madrid under Benitez didn’t play like the Royal Whites the world is used to.

Sitting back and defending narrow leads is not in Real Madrid’s DNA. The cry from the Bernabéu stands is always ‘Attack! Attack! Attack’, no matter the stage of the game.

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The team was doing the opposite on the field. They lacked the flair, excitement, and the Midas touch that the fans loved them for. The whistles started soon, even in victories. Benitez didn’t recognize that, and then it was only a matter of time.

It would be harsh to say that Zidane’s style of play is like that of Benitez. In all fairness, Zidane has made Real Madrid play far more attacking and attractive football.

However, Real hasn’t dominated oppositions the way fans demand them to. Most victories have been nervy or not convincing enough for the Bernabéu faithful. The draws have been poor. There are no 5-0 or 6-1 drubbings yet, they have barely managed to get 2 goals per game. The oppositions haven’t been played out of the park, barring the Super Copa maybe. The whistles have started, and the dissatisfaction will grow if such performances continue.

Zidane said that Madrid is only 5 points behind Barcelona, top of their group in CL and has already won 2 trophies. He said that people seem to have forgotten that. That worries me because he is missing the point here.

The discontent is more deep-seated than that, Zizou! Learn from Benitez’s case, don’t turn a blind eye to what the fans are trying to convey to you.

No ‘Remontadas’

Real Madrid and Remontadas (comebacks) are almost synonymous with one another.

Madridistas take pride in that their team never gives up, no matter what. ‘Hasta el Final, Vamos Real’ (Until the end, C’mon Madrid) is the slogan most proudly displayed in the Bernabéu stands and on the merchandise. It’s often said that 90 minutes is a very long time at the Santiago Bernabéu and that it’s never over until Madrid players walk off the field.

We haven’t seen any of that this season yet. While it’s true that this is just October and they are just 15 matches into the season, they could have done with a Remontada in 4 of those matches.

It didn’t happen.

It also didn’t look like it would happen, which is a bigger concern. That spirit, that drive, that mental strength, that will to make it happen is missing right now.

Pep Guardiola once said that you know something is not right at Madrid when they don’t come at you and give their 200% in the last minutes.

Well, something is definitely not right, and it’s a combination of all the factors above.

The Madrid loyalists will associate this lack of hope for magic to happen with Benitez’s spell as well. There were very few such inspired moments in those 5 months, which gradually led to a loss of faith in the system deployed by Benitez.

So, will Zidane meet the same fate as Benitez?

The short answer is, Hell No. And here is why:

• It’s still just October. And Madrid can still win all 6 trophies this season. There is more than enough time to recover and bounce back.
• He is Zizou! A massive favorite of fans, players, club hierarchy and the media. Even if he doesn’t win any trophies this season (way too early to say that, but still), he would be given another year at least.
• He has earned that too, given the trophies he has filled in the Bernabéu cabinet in less than 2 years.
• Real Madrid has shown flashes of their potential, which gives hope.
• The players will play for him and fight for him. They didn’t do it for Benitez, who couldn’t earn their trust and loyalty.

Zidane already has a legacy at Madrid, both as a player and now as a coach.

He just became the first person to win the FIFA award for Best Player and Best Coach. But it’s time to buck up or else his honeymoon period with Real Madrid could be over.

Next: Three takeaways from Real Madrid vs. Eibar

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