Real Madrid are two matches into a gauntlet of fixtures in late November and early December. Los Blancos survived challenges in La Liga against Sevilla and Athletic Club, and now they must prepare for La Liga matches against Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid with a final Champions League group stage fixture vs. Inter in between.
While Los Blancos’ attack is the least of Madridistas’ worries thanks to the incomparable duo of Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema, the defense has caused fans a great deal of anxiety. Even though Real recorded a clean sheet in Wednesday’s win over Athletic Club, they could have easily given up four goals if Thibaut Courtois did not play out of his mind. Again.
However, the defense is not actually Real’s biggest problem as the team prepares for its three toughest matches of the season in a row – La Real, Inter, and Atelti.
No, no. The biggest issue is a familiar foe to Madridistas. One word. Fatigue.
Look at the match against Athletic Club. Real Madrid were actually the better team through the first 45 minutes. They were dominant at times, with Vinicius Junior taking the fight to the opposition time after time and the midfield controlling the match well.
Fatigue almost cost Real Madrid vs. Athletic Club
And then in the second half, it looked like Los Blancos hit a wall. Aside from Vinicius, everyone else looked completely out of it. Without Courtois, Real Madrid would have paid for this collapse in the form of dropped points at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti is caught in a tough spot. He knows he needs to rotate and keep the squad fresh to stave off the fatigue. The team cannot fade. But he also knows he needs to win every match possible, especially these vital league fixtures against the likes of Sevilla, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, and Atletico Madrid. These are all very good teams who are capable of beating a rotated Real Madrid. Out of these four teams, three of them are title contenders, with Atleti being the defending champions.
Yet as we saw against Bilbao and Sevilla, a less-than-100-percent Madrid is beatable, even if the best XI possible is on the pitch.
With mounting international fixtures, the Copa del Rey coming, and the Champions League set to heat up with the knockout stages, injuries and fatigue will only become bigger issues for Real Madrid. We are at the point of the season where tired legs are the biggest factor, and fitness, whether related to injury or stamina, can make or break an elite team. Anyone is capable of beating anyone in La Liga, and Los Blancos must take that to heart.
So as Real prepare for this weekend’s match at the Anoeta and next weekend’s even bigger battle in the league against their crosstown rivals, Madridistas know that their main enemy is themselves. It is Real Madrid vs. Real Madrid for the title, at the end of the day, and their ability to manage fatigue and themselves could be what makes the difference. Remember, physical fatigue begets mental fatigue, and, as we saw against Bilbao, the mental errors are starting to surface with greater frequency. That was the warning shot. Now, let us see what is the response.