Real Madrid pulled off yet another comeback on Saturday, March 29, defeating Leganes 3-2 to secure three crucial points. What was supposed to be an easy match against a weak opponent turned into a tense affair due to Real Madrid's defensive lapses.
Ancelotti opted for Lucas Vazquez instead of Fede Valverde to give him some rest, but Vazquez has failed to impress once again.
The Spaniard undoubtedly had another disappointing performance. He was directly at fault for one of Leganes’ goals, lost the ball six times, and was out of position on several occasions in defense.
We all know that Vazquez isn’t having a good season by any means and is probably the worst player of Real Madrid this season. But is he the only one to blame?
Real Madrid's board should be blamed just as much as Lucas Vazquez
Real Madrid have faced some major injuries to key players in the past two seasons, but defense is certainly the area that has been hit the hardest. The ACL injuries to Militao in successive seasons was a huge blow to the club. Adding to the worries were injuries to Alaba and Real Madrid’s first-choice right-back, Dani Carvajal.
Last season, Nacho Fernandez was there to cover for Carvajal at right-back whenever needed, but he left the club to join Al-Qadsiah in 2024. This left Lucas Vazquez as the only other right-back available at the team’s disposal.
In spite of having the funds, Los Blancos didn’t sign a backup for Carvajal at the right-back position and decided to take the risk. Well, it seems that the risk certainly wasn’t worth it after all. Although Vazquez has played as a right-back before, it certainly isn’t his primary position, which is evident from his recent string of poor performances.
Real Madrid should have signed a backup option when they had the chance, to have a ready replacement in case of injuries. With Vazquez’s poor form, Ancelotti has had to deploy Valverde in the right-back position, moving him from his midfielder role. While Valverde has done an admirable job there, this shouldn’t become the norm.
Vazquez should certainly perform better, but the responsibility for these poor performances shouldn't fall solely on him. The Real Madrid management should share the blame as well.
Vazquez’s contract is set to expire in 2025, and there have been no reports of any contract extension till now. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are said to have already secured the services of Trent Alexander-Arnold for next season. So this could very well be Vazquez’s last season in a Real Madrid shirt. We hope that Vazquez regains his form for the remaining matches and can help the club in the final stretch of the season.