The goals have been hard to come by for Real Madrid last season and now again this season. Karim Benzema has been the only true goalscorer on the team, however, he has fallen into a slump. Against FC Barcelona Sunday night, Los Blancos will need these three players to step up and score an important goal or two.
If Zinedine Zidane’s side is serious about winning the La Liga title for the first time since 2017, the goals are going to have to start coming in bunches. Heading into the pivotal El Clasico, Zizou’s men have managed just 46 goals in 25 league matches.
Simply, there is not a reliable goal scorer the fans and players on the pitch can rely on to come up clutch in big matches such as this.
Who will become the hero in the Santiago Bernabéu and help to lift Los Blancos back to the top of Spanish football? These three guys could play a big hand.
Isco
The ‘bandy-legged bandit’ scored a crucial goal for Real Madrid in the Champions League match with Manchester City on Wednesday and was the creator the side needed on the pitch in a big match.
The goal was Isco’s third on the season and he has now managed to tally in three different competitions.
Whenever Zidane deploys Isco into the lineup, the Spaniard is a wild card. He could play as a winger, a holding midfielder, or as a CAM free-roaming between the midfield and forward lines.
His role mainly consists of him creating chances and taking the pressure off of Karim Benzema’s false nine duties. In the past Clasicos, Isco has been vital in picking apart Barca’s defense and he has a way of passing the ball that Gerard Pique just can’t handle.
The number 22 has been a delight to watch in his last three appearances, however, his 22 totals shots this season in 22 appearances (what’s the deal with all the 22’s?) is a bit worrying.
His primary focus in the past was passing and creating chances for his teammates, but his assists numbers have seen a severe dropoff in recent years as he has just one assist in his last 49 appearances.
After that goal against City, maybe Isco will be more inclined to put some shots on target.