Real Madrid have had a tough time putting teams away since their return from the World Cup break and the Spanish Super Cup semi-final was no different. Carlo Ancelotti’s side faced Valencia in the match and it ended 1-1 over 120 minutes before Los Blancos managed to clinch the win on penalty kicks.
Real Madrid converted all four of their spot kicks while Valencia missed twice in five. Thus, while Los Blancos’ individual quality shone through in the vital moment, Ancelotti and company must still be disappointed with their overall performance on the day.
It was Karim Benzema who had put Real Madrid up by a goal, after they had received a spot kick in the first half. One also has to point out that Ancelotti’s side have managed to score just two goals from open play since their return from the World Cup break.
Valencia equalised straight after the break though and the two sides could not be separated after that.
Ancelotti must be worried despite Real Madrid winning against Valencia
While Ancelotti must be very happy with the win against Valencia, in what was without doubt a tough game, Real Madrid’s form must surely be worrying the Italian manager.
This was not just one underwhelming performance in vacuum that the club can brush aside as a bad day at the office. Things have not been going well for quite some time now.
They lost in their previous La Liga match against Villarreal, which saw Barcelona take a three point lead in the title race. Their performance against Real Valladolid in the game straight after the World Cup break was sluggish as well. They could have easily lost if not for the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois between the posts and two late goals from Benzema saved the day.
The Copa del Rey match against Cacereno also saw Real Madrid score just once, through Rodrygo, against lower league opposition.
Thus, it is pretty clear that Real Madrid are not at their best at the moment. With the schedule tight, a sluggish spell could end up having a huge impact on the season though.