Real Madrid did manage a 1-0 victory over struggling Rayo Vallecano on Saturday in La Liga, but the club broke an unsavory 25-year record. Here are the details.
Despite having possession for nearly 70 percent of the match, Real Madrid could only manage one goal. That goal came from in-form striker Karim Benzema in the 13th minute.
With good linkup on the forward line between Benzema, Marco Asensio, and Lucas Vazquez, the French goalscorer managed to score his sixth league goal of the year and ninth in all competition.
There are a lot of goods to take away from this match. First and foremost, Real Madrid won and moved up to third place in La Liga to close out the 2018 calendar year.
Secondly, Santiago Solari coached the team to its third consecutive clean sheet in league play (Real Madrid has not had three consecutive clean sheets in La Liga since 2015).
Finally, Marcos Llorente showed again that he is an elite player after completing all 37 attempted passes in the first half.
As for the bad, well, Los Blancos tied a rather woeful record that has stood since 1993. Through 16 games, this is tied for the fewest goals the club has scored in La Liga with 24. So, considering Real sits in third place in Spain, it isn’t as big of a deal that they tied this record.
However, when looking at the bigger picture, it is clear that manager Santiago Solari is struggling to find reliable goalscorers after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure over the summer.
Benzema’s six league goals in 15 starts and one substitution appearance leads the team and totals 25 percent of the club’s goals for. Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos are tied in second on the team with four goals.
So yes, having three players score 75 percent of the goals in La Liga is worrying. The Isco drama continues to dominate the media, but Marco Asensio’s lack of production in front of goal this year has to be mentioned.
Real Madrid needs all hands on deck right now with the FIFA Club World Cup now just days away, plus, with Gareth Bale likely out due to the injury he sustained against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, the responsibility to pick up for the Welsh winger will fall to Vazquez, Isco, and Asensio.