Real Madrid: 3 takeaways after Copa de la Reina exit to Madrid CFF

Real Madrid Femenino faced rivals Madrid CFF on the road in the Copa de la Reina this Wednesday evening in a one-game elimination match. After fighting back to equalize with a late penalty, Las Blancas fell to a wondergoal in extra time from former Atletico Madrid wide forward Priscila Borja.

It was another heartbreaking loss for Real Madrid, and it means their Copa de la Reina campaign is officially over.

Here are three takeaways from the 2-1 defeat.

Kosovare Asllani shines in loss

We’ll begin with a positive, and that is the heart of Kosovare Asllani. The Swedish international was frequently targeted by Madrid CFF’s defenders, who stopped at nothing to get Asllani on the ground. They shoved, pulled her shirt, and did whatever they could to try and frustrate her. But the Real Madrid striker remained calm, including from the spot.

Without Asllani, Real would not have had a chance in this one. She, Yohana, and Maite Oroz were among the few players who were near their best in what was otherwise a disappointing evening for Las Blancas.

Asllani is the heart and soul of this team, and she showed it in this rivalry match, constantly dropping deep to pick up the ball and always looking to carry the ball into the box.

Lack of control of the match

Questions will be asked, once more, of Real Madrid manager David Aznar, who failed to impose an identity in this game. Madrid CFF outcoached their rivals, and Aznar honestly failed to adjust, too.

Real’s gameplan was not up to standard, and the biggest issue was how easily Madrid CFF could bypass their midfield, especially on the first goal scored by Geyse. It only took a couple of passes for Madrid CFF to get the ball into the box, and nobody really pressured the first pass either.

Madrid CFF faced more pressure from a fiery Real Madrid side in the second half, desperate to equalize. But the lack of a structure left the defense exposed, having to fend off counterattacks and dangerous chances. Without Yohana’s great work in goal, Real probably wouldn’t have taken this match to extra time.

Oroz played well in midfield, making good recoveries, putting in some nice passes into the box, and even won the tying penalty in regulation. But even she was not put in a position where she could truly dictate play, nor was her only real midfield partner, Aurelie Kaci.

Time to focus on the league

There is no time to dwell on this negative result, because Real Madrid were never out of this game. If it weren’t for that great goal in the end, they may have pulled out a win. Aznar and the coaching staff must learn their lessons from another tough loss and help put their talented players in a position to succeed.

Next up, Las Blancas face Madrid CFF on Sunday at noon in Primera Iberdrola. Hence why they cannot overthink things but must focus on the key lessons learned. Madrid CFF are just six points behind Las Blancas in the league with a game in hand. So this head-to-head matchup will mean a lot for the third-place Real Madrid, who are just hanging on to the final UEFA Women’s Champions League slot for the 2021-2022 campaign. And Champions League qualification is THE focus for this organization.