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Real Madrid: The Biggest Disappointments of the 2020/2021 season

By Prasanna Baidya

Real Madrid, Karim Benzema (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Real Madrid, Karim Benzema (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid, Eden Hazard
Real Madrid, Eden Hazard (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images) /

Trophyless season

At Real Madrid, players and managers get judged by the trophies they win, and ultimately a trophyless season will be considered disappointing. The Royal Whites started the season fighting in four tournaments. And one by one, their chances of a trophy disappeared as they crashed out of Copa Del Rey, Supercopa de Espana, UCL, and La Liga.

While given the circumstances, Zidane and the players put on an incredible effort to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League and competed in La Liga title race till the very end. However, the empty trophy cabinet for the season still feels like a huge disappointment.

Injuries

One of the big reasons Real Madrid went trophyless in the 2020/2021 season was the sheer number of injuries suffered by the team. Los Blancos had more than 60 injuries and Covid-19 absences.

Zidane had his entire roster available to pick from for less than 36 hours, a total of one training session. The fact that the Merengues manager had to turn to his fourth and fifth choice right-backs towards the business end of the season gives us an idea of how thin the squad got because of injuries.

Attacking Players

Real Madrid, for years, has showcased some of the best attacking players in history. From Alfredo Di Stefano to Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferenc Pukas and Ronaldo Nazario have all helmed the attack of the Royal Whites. So it is saddening to see this team fail to break down defenses and score consistently.

Karim Benzema was the only player to show some semblance to the great forwards of the past as he carried the team with 30 goals in all competition. The next highest scorer for the team was Casemiro and Marco Asensio with seven each. No other attackers had double figures in terms of goal contribution.

We saw flashes of brilliance from our attackers now and then. Vinicius Junior terrorized the defenses of Atalanta and Liverpool during the knockout rounds. Both Marco Asensio and Rodrygo had some encouraging moments. But they never were consistently good. Eden Hazard spent most of the season nursing his injuries. Overall, Real Madrid scored a disappointing 67 goals in the league, 88 in all competitions.

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