Real Madrid: 5 burning questions from the draw with Real Sociedad

Is Isco having a repeat second half?

It’s quite interesting matching up the Isco narratives from 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. He starts the season slowly, seems to be out of favor and out of shape, starts to get motivated, gets some more playing time due to injuries, and puts in great performances that earn plaudits again.

Isco showed signs of life in the 1-0 win over Atalanta despite not being on the pitch for Ferland Mendy’s winning goal, but he wasn’t truly impressive in that win despite having a couple of nifty plays.

But on Matchday 25 against Real Sociedad, Isco was the best player on the pitch for the first 45 minutes. He recaptured his magic, with WhoScored.com crediting the 28-year-old with four key passes. Isco started on the left wing but was all over the pitch, showing a work rate we have not seen from him perhaps since the comeback win over Osasuna in Pamplona last season.

Anyone denying Isco’s talent is being disingenuous. His consistency is the real question mark, because Isco is a “rhythm” player who needs the right circumstances. And when he has them, he can excel. His future with Real Madrid is iffy and the club may be better off selling him when considering the overall makeup of the squad, but he is undeniably a talented footballer and someone who can help the team down the stretch of the 2020-2021 campaign.