Real Madrid: 5 burning questions after inexcusable loss to Cadiz

2. How can Real Madrid make sure Vinicius Junior is involved?

Vinicius Junior played 45 more minutes than the forward on the opposite flank, Lucas Vazquez, yet he did not even have 10 more touches than Vazquez. And between the two of them, Vinicius is obviously the superior player for Real Madrid.

Yes, Vinicius had some glaring misses, and he could have done a better job of demanding the ball in the first half by dropping deeper. But the problem lies in the system and approach from Zinedine Zidane. He knew going into this game that Vinicius had the hot hand with goals in back-to-back games, yet he often left Vini isolated and did not make on-field rotations that would open space for him a priority.

Worse yet, Marcelo would often interfere with Vinicius’ playing style, preventing Vinicius from having space to operate in and around the penalty area. Vini had no attacking support, with Karim Benzema and Marcelo struggling and not offering enough involvement for the young player.

With Eden Hazard out until after El Clasico, Vinicius’ importance to Los Blancos is magnified. Real Madrid have to make sure the tactical setup is built around giving Vinicius a chance to make something special happen, because he is the most important player to sparking attacks.