The Real Champs
Fansided

Three takeaways from Real Madrid’s 3-1 loss to Spurs

By Kristofer McCormack

L-R Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CFduring ChampionS League Group H match between Tottenham Hotspur against Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium London on 1 Nov 2017 (Photo by Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
L-R Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CFduring ChampionS League Group H match between Tottenham Hotspur against Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium London on 1 Nov 2017 (Photo by Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Real Madrid played their worst game of the Zinedine Zidane era yesterday against Spurs in a 3-1 loss, all but surely but guaranteeing a second place finish in the group. Here are three takeaways from the game

Time to go back to the basics

(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images) /

One of the really frustrating things about Madrid so far this season is their failure to do the basics right. Since the whistle blew at the start of the second half of the Spanish Supercopa in the Bernabeu, I have witnessed this team take increasingly unnecessary risks in their own half and throw the ball away.

Zidane’s men were lethal at times last season because they were pragmatic and efficient, ethos encapsulated in the midfield duo of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. It’s time that this team went back to playing to their strengths and stop trying to show off.

Failure on the Pitch and in the Dugout

I don’t need to tell you that Real Madrid was horrific in the first half.

Sergio Ramos and Nacho were worked overtime, Madrid was constantly being stretched and Tottenham was unlucky to just have scored one goal at halftime. Many would have hoped for a Zidane halftime team talk to revive the team and get us back in the game.

What we actually got was Casemiro in a three-man backline.

His players might have let him down in the first half, but, Zidane has only himself to blame for the further horror show in the second half. The Frenchman needs to freshen things up at Los Blancos or he might be the latest victim of Florentino’s infamous trigger finger.

Don’t Panic Yet

I know it might seem like the wheels have come off the Zidane wagon, but, I still believe that Real can turn their form around.

This is still a team that won back-to-back Champions Leagues titles and this is still Zinedine Zidane. The man who waltzed into a Madrid side that looked down and out and has turned them into the best the side in Europe. There are plenty of reasons for optimism and we could all be looking back on this blip in form in April and wondering what we were worrying about.

Next: Player ratings from Real Madrid’s 3-1 loss to Tottenham

Stay tuned to The Real Champs for more Real Madrid coverage!

Home/Analysis