Real Madrid and Barcelona find themselves embroiled in a tight race for the La Liga title after a while. Xavi’s side are surprisingly leading Carlo Ancelotti’s men by two points, despite having lost the El Clasico earlier on in the campaign. It is a direct result of Los Blancos’ downturn in form right before the World Cup break.
The only positive is that the deficit is manageable, especially with another El Clasico still to be played. One would hope though that Real Madrid have learned their lesson and will add a few players in January.
The squad depth is simply not there right now to compete for La Liga as well as the Champions League. Injuries and fatigue took its toll on this team recently, and it would not be a surprise if the same happens in the second half of the campaign as well.
One area where Real Madrid seem to be stacked though is defence, with their latest addition being Antonio Rudiger, who arrived as a free agent in the summer after his contract ran out at Chelsea. But it looks like Barcelona wanted him as well.
Barcelona wanted to sign Real Madrid star last summer before his Santiago Bernabeu switch
As reported by AS, Rudiger said about Barcelona:
"“They knocked on my door, they did. But for me it was not a possibility. As I told you before, Madrid wasn’t even a dream for me because it seemed unattainable… If you look at the names that have played here: Zidane, Ronaldo, Cristiano… Having the opportunity to play with Modric, Kroos or Benzema… It was difficult to say no.”"
It is great that Rudiger ended up deciding to join Real Madrid instead. Not only has he proven his quality but his dedication to the cause as well. See his goal against Shakhtar Donetsk for proof.
He had the reputation of being a leader at Chelsea, and hopefully, we will see those qualities shine through as well, as the season progresses and he fits into the club more with time.
Real Madrid have done a great job in recent years when it comes to free transfers and the decision to bring in Rudiger was another masterstroke on their part.