As the final whistle was blown, on a clear Saturday night in Vallecas, many different emotions were felt by Real Madrid supporters. A collective sigh of relief was coupled with anger, fear or frustration. Once again Real had allowed it’s opponent back into the game after going 3-0 up. There are many factors to be taken away from this result. Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale once again exhibited flawless link-up play coupled with ruthless efficiency to increase their tally to ten goals in two games. On the other hand, Real Madrid’s weakness at the back was once again shown as they struggled to maintain a three goal lead. The question now is, do the positives outweigh the negatives?

Positives:

The Attacking Trident: 

Three more goals for the attacking trio. In two games: Ronaldo has scored five times, Benzema has scored three times and Bale has scored twice. Keeping in mind that Bale has assisted five goals and that Benzema has assisted twice, shows us the devastating form of this trio. Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo can’t stop scoring as he is now the top scorer both in Spain and Europe. Some could say, Benzema is rediscovering his form while Gareth Bale continues to prove his critics wrong. The world was quick to criticize the Welshman’s performance in the Nou Camp deeming an immediate failure. Personally I believe that Gareth wasn’t as bad as the press portrayed him to be. A lack of control in the midfield, left Bale somewhat disconnected on the right flank. Adding to the fact that it was only his second start for Real. Imagine what Ancelotti must have said to him before the game: “Alright lad, forget about the fact that you just got back from injury,  the fact that you are the most expensive player in the world, the fact that you replaced a fan favorite and the fact that this is the biggest match in the history of club football. “ Confidence is key to the success of any player. You don’t just push a player into a Classico. Games against lesser oppositions are needed to allow the player to develop form and gain momentum. Bale is quickly developing a connection with Benzema and Ronaldo. At its current path, this trio could soon become the best in Europe.

The Return of the Maestro

Coming into the game, the focus was towards the return of Xabi Alonso to the starting line-up. The Basque midfielder played the first half, in which he showed us his class. Far from his top form, he put in an excellent defensive shift as well as a few trademark long balls. His absence was clearly evident in the second half, in which Real lost control of the game. Above all, it is his experience and composure that adds stability to the heart of the pitch. He not only performs himself, but gives others the confidence and assurance to perform. Many reports in Spain are suggesting that he is keen to extend his stay at Real Madrid. If true, this could be as vital as the extension of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Negatives:

The Never-Ending Carelessness:

At times Real looks like a team worthy of winning La Decima, but sometimes they look like a second division team fighting against relegation. There seems to be switch in the team. When turned on, beautiful football flows out but when off, hardly a pass can be made. We have seen this far too much this season. In the second half, Real’s downfall was that it struggled to hold possession. If you are leading, all you need to do is control the game by holding possession. I must admit that Rayo pressed very well and made keeping the ball a tough task.  But if you cannot withstand the pressing of Rayo, how will you survive the pressing of teams such as Borrusia Dortmund. Without experience in the heart of midfield, Real kept trying to difficult long passes when all it had to do is hold possession. If they had just slowed the pace of the game and made Rayo tire to gain the ball, the game could have been over before it had even started. After the game, Ancelotti boldly stated that this sort of carelessness has been witnessed twice but it would not happen again. So far the Italian tactician has dealt with problems as they have occurred. At first it was the inability to score, then it was conceding early goals and now it is carelessness.

The question still remains “Do the positives outweigh the negatives?” A question that is in everyone’s mind before Real’s trip to Turin. In short, yes. Yes it does. It was clearly a tale of two halves in Vallecas. One with and one without Xabi Alonso. When the Bearded Basque does return to full fitness, his presence will be invaluable for Real. Not to mention the fact that, a first choice center back paring is still yet to be determined by Carletto. The constant shuffling, is not allowing a connection to be formed in the heart of defense. Real is outscoring its opponents and at the end that is what matters. But unless the defense matches the quality of the attack, things will always be tricky for Los Blancos. 

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