Bad times at the Bernabéu: Real Madrid’s four biggest problems right now

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - OCTOBER 02: Players of Real Madrid react after during UEFA Champions League Group G soccer match between CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia on October 02, 2018. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - OCTOBER 02: Players of Real Madrid react after during UEFA Champions League Group G soccer match between CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia on October 02, 2018. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Epsilon/Getty Images)
(Photo by Epsilon/Getty Images) /

Defensive Lapses

Gosh, we’ve gone down this road before. A zillion times maybe. But it’s all the same, sadly. The team continues to struggle defensively and Moscow was the latest beneficiaries of it. Another horrendous Toni Kroos backpass was poorly dealt with, allowing Nikola Vlasic to give the hosts an unlikely lead in just the second minute.

Raphael Varane too, should have done much, much better there. His effort to clear the danger was so futile that the Croat dispatched the chance with ease. Now imagine if this was avoided. Real Madrid could’ve saved themselves the blushes. But still, here we are.

This game also prolonged the wait for a clean sheet on the road: zero in four away games so far. It’s really not surprising given how the team has performed in recent weeks.

At least five of the seven conceded goals during this spell have been due to some of the other defensive shortcoming. And that’s so frustrating. It has cost the club points as well as the top position in both La Liga and the Champions League.

This has to stop if the team want to get the season back on track.