Real Madrid: 5 takeaways from a 1-0 win over Real Betis on LaLiga’s Matchday 3

Real Madrid still have work to do, but that’s fine

Real Madrid are in a good position in LaLiga with two wins and a draw. They have scored at least three goals in two games and are now coming off their first clean sheet of the campaign. But at the same time, it’s hard for Madridistas to feel like the team is operating at the level they want to be.

That’s to be expected, of course. Not only are Real Madrid without two of the best midfielders on the planet, but they are notorious slow-starters. Beyond that, they are transitioning to a new defense, a new manager, and a new way of attacking that puts more responsibility on younger players like Vinicius Junior while also attempting to accommodate previously out-of-favor stars like Gareth Bale and Isco.

In this match against Real Betis, Real Madrid kept a clean sheet despite giving up a couple of clear chances, particularly the one at the very end. They also benefited from Betis making some horrible decisions with their passing, as they made atrocious giveaways not long after Real Madrid made their own mistakes in possession without Kroos or Modric.

Betis could not punish Madrid in the way Levante did, and Los Blancos will happily take that. But Ancelotti knows that while the team showed grit, they must continue to work on their consistency in filling gaps, controlling games, and getting their chemistry down. It’s a good thing, though, that Ancelotti is as masterful of a chemist as anyone with a Nobel. He will precipitate the correct product. It just takes a little bit of patience to obtain the best yield possible.