It’s Not Just A Big Game Problem For Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s 4-0 win over Valencia at the Bernabéu, a week removed from their triumph in the Clásico, feels far longer than a month ago. The international break sits in the middle of that timeline, yet the contrast in performances is so stark that the team from early November already seems like a distant memory. Aside from a Champions League win over Olympiacos, Madrid have produced little of substance, their slide marked by three consecutive LaLiga draws against sides positioned 10th, 11th, and 18th at the moment.

The defeat at Anfield initially looked like another chapter in Madrid’s big-game issues under Xabi Alonso, following heavy setbacks against PSG in the Club World Cup and Atlético Madrid earlier in the season. But at this point, the pattern can no longer be confined to a single category of fixtures.

There were flashes of coherence in Greece. For a stretch, Madrid played with a freedom and tempo that had been missing, and Kylian Mbappé’s four goals ensured a comfortable return flight. Yet even that came with caveats. With reports circulating about a strained dynamic between Vinícius Jr. and Alonso, the win brought only brief respite. And it was never a reliable measuring stick. José Luis Mendilibar’s astonishingly high defensive line was practically an invitation for Vini Jr. and Mbappé to run riot in transition. Olympiacos, 33rd out of 36 teams in the Champions League group stage table, have scored only five goals in five matches, three of them against Madrid. For all the attacking fireworks, the game highlighted the extent of Madrid’s defensive frailties amid injuries and poor form.

Even the return of Eder Militão and Antonio Rüdiger against Girona failed to stabilize things. Madrid were spared a more damaging scoreline only by another extraordinary performance from Thibaut Courtois. The match could easily have swung 3-1 in Girona’s favor.

The numbers since the Valencia win are damning. Across five matches, Real Madrid have conceded 73 shots, 29 of them on target, with an expected goals against figure of 7.61 and seven goals allowed. For comparison, it took the team ten matches across all competitions at the start of the season to allow 29 shots on target, a stretch that included a heavy derby defeat against Atlético.

The trend is no longer a blip. It is a problem of structure, form, and confidence that Madrid have been unable to arrest, regardless of personnel or opposition.