Real Madrid lost to Barcelona on Saturday in a fashion that not many expected. They weren't outscored by four, they weren't outclassed throughout, they tried to do their job well, but weren't able to make that final push.
Real Madrid were without a few of their players, but that was the same for Barcelona, so it is tough to blame it on that. They just did not win, and that is the end of that.
Speaking of players, they will be without Antonio Rudiger for quite some time. Launching a projectile and being mad at the referee earned him a straight red from the bench and a suspension that could last up to 12 games. It was not just him, either: Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez also got red cards. However, it was a horrendous head loss from the German.
That is not the only thing Real Madrid fans, alongside Carlo Ancelotti - who is set to leave at the end of the season - should be worrying about. Their number 22 has played with a heavy bandage on his knee for as long as we can remember, and people at the club are now looking at options.
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger may end up missing even more games due to surgery
Real Madrid, according to a report by MARCA, are considering getting Rudiger to undergo knee surgery at the end of the season.
It is an option that is gaining more and more ground as the days go by, with Germany's Nations League finals set to take place at the start of June too.
Rudiger wants to return to full fitness by the start of next season, and it would make sense for him to rest until that time so that he does not face this problem again.
One more thing Real Madrid have to consider is his future at the club. There is no doubt about the fact that he is an exceptional defender, and has been for a couple of seasons now. But, Rudiger has been through a lot this season.
He has been playing through pain, and has looked considerably, and rightfully, slower as well. If he now gets a surgery, it makes things tough for Real Madrid moving forward as they don't know how much of prime Rudiger they would be able to bring back after it.
He is not getting any younger; Rudiger is 32 years old, and is edging closer to the maximum output Real Madrid could get from him. Renewing him now would mean more question marks and a few risks of a bad contract that Real Madrid have already been accustomed to with David Alaba.
Rudiger is definitely not at that level yet, and won't be for some time. However, Real Madrid have to plan for the future, and they will have to keep all of this in mind when they decide how long their contract extension offer for Rudiger would have to be - or if they would even offer one at all.