Real Madrid were beginning to look unstoppable in the Champions League, but Juventus remind us that Los Blancos are still vulnerable this season.
Madrid are through to the semi-finals by the skin of their teeth. Juventus pushed them to the limits by scoring three goals in a row at the Bernabéu to nearly take Madrid to extra time. The match was snatched from them cruelly, but correctly, after Vazquez was taken down in the box. Madrid needed Ronaldo’s penalty to get them through after an abysmal performance in defense.
Los Blancos’ poor defending throughout their campaign cost them vital points in La Liga and dumped them out of the Copa del Rey. Zidane’s men have shown some characteristic defensive weaknesses throughout this season, and Juventus exploited them perfectly.
Madrid have been shockingly bad at defending in the air. For a team usually known for their aerial prowess, Madrid have been conceding a bunch of goals from headers and crosses. Juventus’ Mario Mandžukić looked to be taking a page out of Christian Stuani’s playbook from Madrid’s game against Girona in March. Just like Stuani, Mandzukic exploited a height advantage against Carvajal for two goals. Casemiro and Marcelo also were poor in defense against Juventus, contributing to Madrid’s abysmal display at the back.
Just as I was singing Keylor Navas’ praises, he goes and lets me down. Navas’ recent uptick in form seemed to be coming at just the right time for Real Madrid, but his performance against Juventus was a major disappointment. Navas had absolutely no business letting go of the ball for Matuidi’s goal. That should have been a routine cross for a keeper at the top level, and that was a huge mistake.
Juventus didn’t just test Real Madrid’s defense; they also put Los Blancos’ attackers through the ringer. At the beginning of the season, Madrid’s attack looked lethargic and one-dimensional. Madrid would try battering down the door with a high quantity of low quality shots, but couldn’t seem to find their way through. It seemed like that was all behind us, but those tendencies came out again against a Juventus side who maintained defensive stability and frustrated Madrid throughout the night.
Next: Tactical Analysis Real Madrid vs Juventus
Between containing Madrid in attack and exploiting Madrid in defense, Juventus seems to have provided the remaining teams in the Champions League with a blueprint going forward. Many Madrid fans seemed to think after the first leg that Madrid were going to run away with the Champions League. But Juventus proved that despite the recent string of good results, this Real Madrid side is still quite vulnerable.