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#2 Squad Depth
It was only two seasons back in 2016-17 when Real Madrid achieved the remarkable feat of winning both La Liga and the Champions League. They dominated both in Spain and Europe as they had an answer for every question thrown at them. No team on the continent could even contest the claim of being as good as them. The huge margin of victory in the European Cup semi-final vs Atletico Madrid and the final against Juventus bare testimony to that.
One thing that stood out that season was Zinedine Zidane's rotation. The Frenchman found an ideal balance in letting his players have sufficient rest without compromising on results. While the credit is the manager's for optimally rotating the squad, a major reason for him doing so was the availability of resources. In Zidane's hands was a squad brimming with quantity and quality.
Since then, except for the major loss of Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid have more or less kept hold of their preferred starting eleven. However, a lot of options on the bench have since left the squad. Last season saw the departures of striker Alvaro Morata to Chelsea, right back Danilo to Manchester City and playmaker James Rodrigues to Bayern Munich. The trend has continued this season with midfielder Mateo Kovacic leaving for Chelsea. Except for Danilo, replacements for none of these players have been bought.
Evidently, the Madrid squad has been depleted to a large extent. While the first eleven is still one of the best in Europe, the lack of back-up options is a major concern. The vacant places on the bench have filled either by returning loanees or academy players. As of now, most of them do not inspire confidence in terms of ability. The need to have a big squad in order to do well across all competitions is no rocket science and it is something Real Madrid could struggle with unless they make moves in the transfer market.
