SD Huesca 0-1 Real Madrid: 5 Talking Points, La Liga 2018-19

It was a drab affair as bottom-of-the-table Huesca hosted the struggling Real Madrid, and it was the visitors who came away with all three points by an extremely fine margin of 1 goal. Gareth Bale's superb finish from Alvaro Odriozola's cross was all that separated the two sides on the night, as Huesca really looked to threaten Real's backline and obtain a result in front of their home fans. But it was Real Madrid who triumphed and they now sit in 4th place in the La Liga table.

Real have been in good form since their shock 3-0 defeat in the Basque Country at Eibar, having won all three games that followed. They put 6 past Melilla at the Bernebau at midweek and were expected to have a convincing result against the league's weakest side. But Huesca's players and fans had other ideas, as the stadium got in unison to get behind their players, who put in their best performance of the season so far. The home side could have gone level with Madrid had it not been for Thibaut Courtois and some poor finishing. Huesca missed two clear-cut chances to get back into the game.

Real were outplayed in many periods of play by tonight's opponent, struggling badly against their high press. Both teams ended the first half with 2 shots apiece, which says a lot about how badly Real's deficiencies were exploited by a team that has never even been in the same league as them. The result was a lucky one for Los Blancos, as one moment of brilliance was what separated the two teams. Real ground out a result nonetheless, but they were made to work a lot harder than they should have for what is as good as a guaranteed 3 points. Here are the talking points and observations from the game.

#1 Marcos Llorente was immense again

I seem to be dedicating an entire slide to the young Spaniard everytime I cover a Real fixture these days, but such is his importance to Real's victories in the past 4 fixtures especially, that it'd be a crime not to mention him. The Spaniard started his fourth consecutive game and has seemed to become a firm favorite under Santiago Solari. He put in another solid shift, and was the best midfielder for his side on the night, although it was a game which lacked overall quality in the middle of the park, despite the presence of Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric, who's looked off since returning from national duty at the World Cup. Llorente was pivotal in creating the game's only goal, turning away from pressure and placing a pinpoint pass in the path of Odriozola, who set up Gareth Bale's sumptuous volley. It was another lovely performance from the Spaniard, who Casemiro might find hard to replace after his return from injury.

#2 Huesca showed courage and purpose

For a side that is languishing at the foot of the table, having won just one game all season, this was a game most Huesca fans were dreading expecting to be thrashed by the mighty visitors. It was a perfect case of David vs Goliath. Huesca had other plans though, and it looked as if they had studied Real's defeat to Eibar quite extensively, operating with almost the same gameplan. Their pressing was superb, never allowing Real's technically superior players a moment's rest on the ball, and the Huesca players were constantly trying to rob the men in white and start an attack of their own.

Their players seemed to have an extra yard of pace, but their technical quality, or lack thereof, was the downfall for the home side. They had two glorious chances to get in front either side of the break, but both were put wide of Thibaut Courtois' gaping goal. The Belgian really had to work for his first away clean sheet in the league, as Huesca were a constant threat to Real's high backline.

#3 Real Madrid's deficiencies still visible

Real Madrid's weaknesses have been capitalized on before, they were capitalized on by Huesca in this game, and it's more than likely that they will be again. Real have had a torrid time dealing with teams who are willing to fight for the result, more so than Real players would be. That plan has worked so far for minnows like Eibar, Levante, and Alaves. These teams with their budgets combined don't add up to cross even a quarter of Real's coffers, but what they lack in spending power, they make up for in commitment and grit.

Real's players also showed some grit on the night, and unlike their defeat against Eibar, they were playing with a natural defensive midfielder in Marcos Llorente, who was pivotal to Real's positive result tonight. We have already seen quite extensively what starting Toni Kroos or Dani Ceballos in that role can do, and fortunately, Solari seems to have learnt from that experiment. Real really need to freshen up their squad in the upcoming transfer windows, or risk getting left behind by rivals Barcelona and Atletico, who are constantly adding more depth and quality in their squad.

#4 The Isco and Asensio Conundrum continues

Marco Asensio and Isco Alarcon have been two of the most enigmatic players to have donned the iconic white of Real Madrid. They have shown that they are capable of single-handedly winning games at the very top, but have also shown to be two of the most inconsistent footballers currently in the Real Madrid setup. Julen Lopetegui's reign started brightly, with both these men playing a pivotal part in that initial run, but Asensio suddenly stopped performing and Isco had to get a surgery for appendicitis. We all know what happened after that, and soon after Solari was promoted as first team coach.

The man from Rosario had handed Isco and Asensio their first starts in the previous fixture, a dead rubber tie against Melilla, where they both performed admirably, grabbing a couple of goals apiece. That result was thought of by fans as a turning point in the two Spaniards' careers, who had so long been kept on the periphery by Solari, but it was more of the same tonight, as both men were dropped for ex-Tottenham duo, Bale and Modric.

The players will be more than justified to feel frustrated, and they couldn't be blamed to feel that they could've added more gloss to that scoreline had they started tonight, especially after performing so well in the previous game at the Bernebau. Both the players and their fans would like to see the two stars get more minutes on the pitch, and if they can't they must try and get a move to a club where they can showcase their talents more regularly.

#5 Bale's goalless streak is over, but he cannot be relied on

Gareth Bale finally ended his barren spell in the league, scoring his first La Liga goal since 2nd September. He scored a brilliant goal - one that gets better every time you look at it. He was the most dangerous attacking player for Real tonight, forcing a couple of good saves from Jovanovic. This was just the Welshman's 4th league goal this campaign which so far has been dubbed as a failure to fill in the massive shoes of the statistical unicorn that is Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ever since the Portuguese phenom left Real, smaller teams have started taking Real's strikeforce more lightly, and focus on getting the best result instead of just damage prevention, like it used to be. Real need to find a reliable goal-getter - someone who sends a shiver of doubt down the opposition defenders when they see him approaching. Karim Benzema certainly isn't the man to do that. He never was, and he suddenly won't become one. Gareth Bale's own injuries have hampered him, and he has shown why he can't be relied on to be the talisman.

Real need to invest heavily in the attacking department if they aim to remain one of the World's most prestigious and successful clubs.