Real Madrid could not get a point against Mallorca on Matchday 9, falling out of first place in La Liga after losing their first game of the 2019-2020 season.
It’s important for Real Madrid fans not to panic after Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Mallorca, but there is no doubt that Los Blancos deserved zero points from a lackadaisical performance.
Like with the 2-2 tie to Club Brugge, Real fell behind early and were burned by defensive errors. They did not show any chemistry in midfield, as a less-than-100-percent Isco was overrun as the pivot next to Casemiro in a 4-4-2.
Two-striker systems rarely work in football, and that was clear in this game when Luka Jovic entered the starting lineup to play alongside Karim Benzema. James Rodriguez played on the right, narrowing Real’s attack so much that Alvaro Odriozola was forced to provide more width – and thus run the risk of being exposed as he attempted to cover more ground.
Jovic was isolated, Benzema was ineffective, and Real were listless offensively. Only Vinicius Junior could consistently carry the ball into the final third and create on the ball, while only James Rodriguez provided dangerous passes for the attackers. But the attackers couldn’t place themselves in goal-scoring positions, forcing the likes of Vinicius to take low-percentage shots from outside the box.
Real had no coherent gameplan, an unideal formation, and miscast players like Benzema and Isco in positions that simply did not work for them. The result was a lack of offensive firepower when Real needed goals to get back into the game, and while fans will argue that Los Blancos should have received at least one penalty, the reality is that a team cannot rely on iffy penalty shouts to go their way. Real couldn’t create, hence they lost.
The good news is that Real’s issues are fixable. They can’t afford to underestimate other La Liga teams, even those near the bottom of the table. Los Blancos don’t have the overall squad depth, quality, or creative coaching to get away with resting too many key players. They also need to stick with a 4-3-3 system and need to stop forcing players into roles that don’t fit them; starting Isco over Fede Valverde at center midfield, for example, was a huge mistake.
Real will pick themselves up and dust themselves off, and they’ll need to synthesize the lessons they learned from this loss quickly. Los Blancos will face Galatasaray on Oct. 22, needing to pick up their first win in the Champions League before things really look desperate in Zidane’s trademark competition.
Hopefully, this loss to Mallorca serves as a wake-up call that forces the manager and players to improve. There’s still so much left in this season, and Real are still near the top of the table. This loss is just a reminder that they cannot rest for a second.