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#3 (Over) Reliance on the old guard
Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid have, for some time, had issues beyond what meets the eye. Be it their lack of creativity (at least relatively, in comparison to other teams of their stature), or, more importantly, their over reliance on certain individuals. There is no better game to observe the latter point in than their loss to Shakhtar Donetsk.
They began the game without three of their key members, arguably some of their most important ones — Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, and Karim Benzema — and it showed, to say the least. The Blancos looked lost without the expertise and sheer quality of their veterans. At Borussia Park, all three of the aforementioned Real Madrid legends started the game, but Real Madrid were nearly undone by their younger, more energetic counterparts.
The first goal saw Toni Kroos give the ball away cheaply, Ramos failing to read the one-two and being dragged out, and Raphael Varane, whose recent form is becoming increasingly worrying, getting beaten for the killer pass. Benzema brought his side back into the game with a goal in the dying minutes of the game, but there's only so much that the legendary Frenchman can do by himself in the final third.
None of this is to say that they aren't good enough by any stretch of the imagination. Afterall, these are the core players of arguably the best UEFA Champions League side ever, and it was the likes of Ramos, Casemiro and Luka Modric who brought them back into the game. But the cannot keep bailing their side out week in week out anymore, and need more help from the rest of the side. It is also worth noting that most of the players that they overly rely on are on the wrong side of 30.
#2 Unstoppable Marcus Thuram
Marcus Thuram became the latest player to torment Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League with what was a magnificent display on the night. Son of French World Cup winner Lillian Thuram, Marcus announced himself to the Bundesliga last year with ten goals eight assists to show for, ending as the Foals' joint-highest scorer.
On the night at Borussia Park, the Frenchman was in sublime touch, and turned in both of the hosts' goals to give them a two-goal lead. Playing off the left of Monchengladbach's attack, Thuram timed a perfect run from the flank to meet Alassane Plea's sumptuous through ball and lashed the ball past a helpless Thibaut Courtois. The powerful strike was simply too precise for any goalkeeper to stop, let alone LaLiga Santander's reigning Zamora Trophy winner.
The finish for the second goal was a rather easier one, but it was Thuram who was, once again, instrumental in the move. After helping spark the team move from the left, Gladbach switched the play and Plea was on the receiving end of the cutback, and his shot was parried kindly into Thuram's path. The 23-year-old could have added to his simple tap in and had a third goal but dragged his shot wide.
Thuram was judicious with the ball, won four out of his five duels and was a player that Real Madrid found difficult to deal with. A superb display in Europe's elite competition, and a player to watch out for heading further into the UCL.
#1 Zinedine Zidane continues to feel the heat
While pressure is not particularly something that bothered the great Zinedine Zidane — be it as a player or as a coach, so far — he has, most certainly, felt the heat in recent times.
Zidane's Real Madrid raised more questions than answers with a dull display at home to Cadiz, and unfortunately followed it up with another extremely questionable display against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Spanish champions started both games in an extremely poor manner and, for the third time this season, they walked back into the dressing room at Borussia Park trailing their opponents.
While they eventually managed to leave Germany with a point courtesy of a goal from Casemiro with a minute to spare, they nearly failed to find a solution to breaking Gladbach's rigid block. Real ultimately resorted to bombarding their opponents with cross after cross — 34 in 90 minutes — to fight their way back into the game.
It's no secret that Real Madrid rely heavily on crosses, to a point where it would not be factually incorrect to say that it is their primary approach to breaking down stubborn opposition. But given the current run of results, and players available at their disposal, Zidane's lack of an alternative route while facing such low blocks could prove to be problematic moving ahead.
Either way, his nightmare start to the 2020/21 campaign has been prolonged with another dire result, and the legendary player and manager now has a Herculean task on his hands. Should his Madrid side face a group-stage elimination from the UCL, the 48-year-old's future at the club could come into question.
Also read: 10 Biggest Ballon d'Or wins in football history
