5 ways Real Madrid can shake off their Bernabeu shackles

It is not unusual for Real Madrid to make headlines, but an insipid start to their defence of the La Liga title was magnified on Wednesday night when Real Betis left the Santiago Bernabeu with maximum points.

The result was Real Madrid's third home league game of the season, and after being held to a draw in each of the previous two games by Valencia and Levante, questions are now being asked about how the Los Blancos can reverse this regrettable form.

Make no mistake, Real Madrid have not become a bad side overnight. They still boast a wealth of individual talent that is being collectively masterminded into shape by Zinedine Zidane.

The manager has claimed successive UEFA Champions League trophies since taking over in January 2016, and in the past week, agreed terms on a new contract to extend his stay.

However, the pressure is now well and truly on the former France midfielder to end this dismal run while rivals and current La Liga leaders Barcelona are still in catching distance.

And, it is the form of Barcelona under new manager Ernesto Valverde that is serving only to accentuate Real Madrid's slide.

Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to a 6-1 win over Eibar at the Camp Nou just 24 hours before Madrid were humbled at home by Betis.

Messi's four-goal haul was in direct contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo's efforts, and their failure to find the back of the net in the 1-0 defeat meant that the side had failed to score for the first time in an incredible run of 73 consecutive games.

However, it is not all bad for Zidane and his Real Madrid side, as the problems that they are experiencing can be fixed.

In addition, the side have claimed victories against Deportivo La Coruna and Real Sociedad on the road in La Liga this season, and comfortably disposed of Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa with an aggregate 5-1 win.

The side also started the season with silverware with a win over Manchester United in the UEFA Super Cup, with Zidane claiming that particular honour for the second time since his arrival.

So, what do the side from the capital need to do to shake the shackles of their current Bernabeu hoodoo?

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#5 Bring back BBC

Real Madrid need to bring their famed attacking trio back together

The last time that Bale, Benzema and Cristiano started for Real Madrid the side were storming past Juventus in Cardiff to become the first team to retain the UEFA Champions League in its current format.

However, a combination of rest, injury and suspension has left Zidane without the collective services of his preferred front three, and it is starting to show.

Although Isco and Marco Asensio have stepped-up to the mark and made the most of their opportunities, they still lack the understanding that has defined the attacking play of the team in recent seasons.

On Wednesday, Bale and Ronaldo started together for the first time, and there was an extra edge to Real Madrid in attack, despite the lack of a goal return.

However, their presence alone dictates that the opposition must pay extra attention to their defensive responsibilities, and it is their collective influence above their statistical goal return that should be measured when assessing their overall contribution.

If Karim Benzema had been available to complete the trio on Wednesday night, with the chances created, there is every reason to believe that the result would have been different.

#4 A little bit of luck

Gareth Bale came close to scoring one of the goals of the season against Real Betis

Popular football cliché dictates that you make your own luck in this game, and there is an element of truth to this well-worn statement.

If the match against Real Betis on Wednesday had been a boxing match, referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz would have stopped it in favour of the home side long before the visitors scored their injury time sucker-punch winner.

And the reason for that, is through the number of chances that Real Madrid created before Antonio Sanabria decided matters deep into stoppage time.

Forcing 27 shots on goal in comparison to the 12 created by Betis, Madrid were dominant for long periods, and a little bit more luck in front of goal would have resulted in a comfortable victory.

Gareth Bale's ridiculous flying back-heeled effort was a prime example of a chance that would have flown into the top corner if the side had not been out of form.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo was a man desperate to impress on his return from a five-match suspension, and there would have been no better time to show the true value of the CR7 brand than if he could have salvaged a victory for his side, in front of the Madridistas.

He tried, but failed, and the defeat hurt.

#3 Dealing with the weight of expectancy

Expectations are high at the Santiago Bernabeu

Three consecutive home games without a win has cost previous Real Madrid managers their jobs and players their place in the squad.

This is a club that takes no prisoners, and nothing but success is expected from one of the biggest and most decorated and celebrated institutions in the world.

The boos and whistles have already started, and nobody is safe from fan opinion when it comes to their side performing in front of their own fans.

It was quite clear as the second half wore on that the players were feeling the negative energy emitting down from every side of the stadium.

Zidane remained the same steely-eyed character as he stood on the touchline, when many of his predecessors would have hidden themselves away in the dugout and its protective covers of anonymity

Although his manner remained cool, calm and collected, this defeat would have eaten away at him inside, and having played in the environment under managers that have wilted under the same weight of expectancy, he would not have been oblivious to the anger raining down on his team.

Ultimately, he has the responsibility of putting things right, and he needs his players to stay focused in order for him to fix it.

#2 Defensive discipline

Defender Sergio Ramos has scored crucial goals for Real Madrid

Nobody understands the pressure of impressing the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu like Sergio Ramos, and it is no coincidence that the captain has been in the right place at the right time late in key games to grab vital last-minute goals throughout his career.

Once again, the Spanish defender acted as a marauding forward in the final few minutes as he went in search of a desperately-needed winner, but neglected his defensive duties in the process.

As Real Madrid pushed more and more players forward, the defence became more and more disjointed, and Real Betis knew that this was their time.

It was a well-worked plan that was implemented to perfection, while Real Madrid failed to respond to the warning signs when Betis had a potentially winning goal chalked-off for offside just minutes before scoring the eventual winner.

These are the unique pressures of playing, and struggling, at the Bernabeu, and while a goal would have made the scorer an instant hero, it was the late defensive frailties that eventually proved to be the difference between the two sides.

While some clubs would have happily worked hard for a point without daring to tread into the Real Madrid half through fear of being exposed on the counter-attack, Real Betis sprung the perfect trap in leaving it so late.

#1 Zidane must freshen his approach

Zinedine Zidane still has much to learn about football management

Despite his success, Zinedine Zidane is still learning his trade as a manager, and his success has largely been achieved through the tools that he has at his disposal.

Any manager that can select a team from some of the best players in the world is always likely to succeed, and it is the form of players like Luka Modric and Ronaldo that has brought him a string of trophies since succeeding Rafael Benitez.

But success has also played a pivotal part in deciding why he has not needed to make any significant tactical changes to his side.

Although there have been small shifts surrounding the availability of different personnel, the basic model used over time has now allowed rival managers the opportunity to work out the most effective way of playing against them.

More often than not, Madrid will still succeed, but frustrating them at the Bernabeu has proved effective in dislodging their defensive discipline and using the displeasure of the crowd to their advantage.

However, Zidane's true talent has been shown in his man-management, and keeping players like Ronaldo happy despite deciding to rest him at certain points last season has shown the rest of the footballing world that he has the ability to manage the most high-maintenance of players.

But results like Wednesday night are not something that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo will appreciate being associated with, and while he will be as desperate as anyone to turn the current slide around, it is Zidane who will ultimately carry the responsibility.

The Santiago Bernabeu has been a fortress for Real Madrid in recent years, but it is now quickly becoming a psychologically negative element to their season that must be overcome, and soon.