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After a heartbreaking defeat against CSKA Moscow away from home, Real Madrid made their trip to Alaves hoping to break a horrid run of form. But, the struggles continued for Real Madrid as they suffered yet another defeat in spite of dominating their opponent for the most parts of the match. Ceballos was given the opportunity to play as a forward and Odriozola came in for the injured Carvajal.
Though Real Madrid had 70% possession, they barely threatened to break the deadlock and suffered a last gasp defeat which will anger many of their fans. These are the 5 talking points from this match.
#1 Manuel Sanchez’s stunning last-minute strike
This was a pretty strange match in which both the teams never really looked to dominate the other by attacking and was heading towards a boring draw. Up to the last minute of this match, it was a usual outing for Varane who was error-free.
However, a failed headed clearance resulted in a pinpoint assist to Sanchez and he stunned the home crowd by heading the ball into the nets and giving Alaves a huge victory against the European champions.
#2 Real Madrid’s goal drought
When CR7 left for Juventus, the vacuum that was created was not expected to be filled up immediately but Benzema and Bale both looked in good form in the initial stages of the season and it seemed like Real Madrid will continue to dominate as usual.
The hopes of the Madrid fans have been thrashed now after they have failed to score for the 4th consecutive time. Benzema has looked completely out of touch after two braces at the start of the season and Mariano is too young to feature as a striker regularly. Real Madrid have a tough few months ahead unless they somehow buy a new striker.
#3 Time is running out for Lopetegui
When Julen Lopetegui was announced as the replacement for the legendary Zidane, the reaction was mixed. Lopetegui had an unbeaten record as Spanish Coach but did not have the experience of coaching a big club which is slowly causing him problems now.
On Saturday, he decided to bench Asensio and play Ceballos in the left wing which did not result in any positives for Real Madrid and they suffered a second consecutive loss which will surely cause a stir among Real Madrid fans. His possession play is slowly starting to receive a lot of criticism and he needs to find the right combination as soon as possible to keep his job safe.
#4 Bale’s injury woes-
Gareth Bale’s talent and his ability to win matches with stunning performances have never been in question but his proneness to injury is not helping him in any way. Bale looked set to be the torch bearer of this Madrid side this season in the absence of Ronaldo but yet another injury concern flared up as he limped off the field in the 80th minute of the game after a disappointing outing. Real Madrid will really hope that the injury is not as serious as they badly need him to revive their falling campaign.
#5 Odriozola’s breathtaking performance
In the absence of the regular right-back Dani Carvajal, Odriozola got a chance to impress and he did not disappoint anyone with a stunning show of skill and pace. He was everywhere on the right flank and looks like a versatile right back. He made lightning-quick runs into the opposition half and whenever there was empty space for an opposition counter-attack, he was quick to adjust and made a few top class tackles. He was the only positive for Real Madrid in an otherwise forgettable performance.
