Real Madrid are in no danger of losing their standing in La Liga, but their slow start can be correlated to something bigger and potentially scarier.
Real Madrid are one of the most recognizable brands in all of international sports. Dozens upon dozens of trophies and even more household names have made them among the world’s most dominant teams over the last fifty years.
2017 has been a slightly different story for the Spanish giants. While the club is still in position to continue to be a force throughout La Liga as well as the Champions League, but so far, they have left a lot to be desired for their fan base.
While Barcelona has jumped out in front of the pack with five straight wins, Real Madrid currently sit in sixth place, seven points behind Barcelona. To this point they have dropped seven points thanks to two draws and a home loss.
While this is no time to press the panic button on any of Real’s stalwart players, or Zinedine Zidane, there is cause to pause and wonder if the team is not quite as fast, quick, and athletic as it once was.
The team has showed signs of aging so far this season. Cristiano Ronaldo will soon turn thirty-three years of age, and his elite speed and strength will only continue to diminish with time. Karim Benzema will also turn thirty by December, making Real’s front line especially vulnerable to younger defenders.
Luca Modric has just turned thirty-two years of age, further complicating Zidane’s traditional substitution patterns and habits. Sergio Ramos, another one of Real’s strongest leaders, is thirty-one.
Real Madrid will have to adjust to this new reality. A tough schedule featuring two meetings still to come with Barcelona may prove to expose Real Madrid’s slower and less fresh legs.
Real Madrid have still been scoring plenty of goals this season, but one of their biggest problems has been because of missed opportunities. Real Madrid have missed more chances than any other club so far this season.
Barcelona has missed nine big chances so far this season. Sevilla and Gerona have reached missed eleven, while Athletic Bilbao have missed thirteen. Real Madrid have shockingly missed twenty-three total chances, which has been the biggest reason for their inability to pull ahead early in games.
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