Real Madrid seems to be a completely different team from what they were much earlier this season. In fact, they’re looking more like last year’s Real Madrid and we as fans are loving every minute of it. Here is an overview of how the squad performed in the month of February.
Overview
Many thought that this season was a wash after some questionable performances between September and January, this last month though, has been very different. Zinedine Zidane has turned the squad around and moved his men in the right direction.
At the beginning of the month, Real Madrid sat in fourth place in the league, a single point behind Valencia. That carried on for most of the month, but, thanks to a game in hand for the Whites they were able to leap over Valencia and take the third spot. Madrid’s game in hand was a result of their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
Madrid had quite a hectic month as they played every 3-4 days for the better part of February. Their biggest match was against Paris Saint-Germain where a great performance seems to have ignited a fire inside the players once again. Let’s take an in-depth look at the squad this past month from their results, injuries, best performer/player and looking ahead to March.
Results and Standings
January
In January, Real Madrid played eight games, four in both La Liga and the Copa Del Rey. Their record was 4-2-2 with four wins, two draws, and two losses. Zidane’s men were able to score 20 goals but conceded almost half that number with 9. Unfortunately for the keepers, neither Navas or Casilla was able to keep a clean sheet.
February
January saw Real Madrid ousted from the Copa Del Rey but Los Blancos made sure to come out in full force in La Liga. Though there wasn’t any CDR to play, Madrid focused on the Champions League and with it being their best shot at trophy, could not slip up. February kept Real quite busy, as they played six games in just 17 days.
Madrid played seven games, six of which were in their domestic league, and one in the Champions League. Real had a record of 5-1-1, five wins, one draw, and one loss.
Nonetheless, this was a far superior month for Real as the team looked cohesive and moved the ball up the pitch in unison. Ronaldo and company also scored 22 times but conceded at about the same rate in January at 11 goals. This time though, the defense was stronger as Navas kept a clean sheet against Deportivo Alavésin a 4-0 win.
Current Standing
With the conclusion of Matchday 25, Real Madrid sits in third place at 51 points and 10 points behind city rival Atletico Madrid. Barcelona is still leading the league and is 14 points ahead of Real. From struggling to claim fourth place, Real is now gunning for the second spot and have improved tenfold.