Real Madrid: 3 takeaways from a Raphael Varane-inspired win over Huesca

Keep expectations for Real Madrid low

We’ve stressed out a lot this season about injuries, the quality of the squad, and even the future of key decision-makers like Zinedine Zidane. Above all else, though, the ups-and-downs of 2020-2021 are a reminder that it is important to manage our expectations for Real Madrid.

This team has depth issues, needs to support the youth, and probably isn’t winning a trophy this season. The Champions League is a whole new “season” when the knockout stages begin, but, even then, we cannot overreact if the team struggles in a half or even a full leg.

Real defeated Huesca, and it was great that they found a way to win. And I loved seeing players like Raphael Varane and Vinicius Junior take the occasion and responsibility on, because there needs to be more players doing that outside of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, for example.

But at the end of the day, we must admit that Los Blancos played an end-to-end match with Huesca and gave up some big chances to Huesca in the course of this narrow victory. They could have lost and were evenly-matched against the literal worst team in La Liga. Huesca is not a bad team, per se, but, comparatively speaking, it says a lot about where Real Madrid are at that they were so close to the team in 20th.

So manage your expectations accordingly. Don’t get your hopes up this season, because we are in a stage of damage control as a squad.