RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Malaga | La Liga MD 3
Real Madrid’s start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu for the new season could not have gone any better as they destroyed Real Sociedad by a 4-1 scoreline in their first game in front of home fans.
Later today, they play their second consecutive clash at home, this time in an earlier kickoff against Malaga .
The newly promoted side have had a mixed start to life in the first division, losing to Atletico Madrid on Matchday 1 but salvaging a 1-1 draw against Deportivo de A Coruna in their subsequent game.
Needless to say, however, Real Madrid pose their biggest challenge yet, and it is safe to say that Jose Mourinho’s men will be the overwhelming favourites coming into the game.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Malaga.
A start for Cucurella
Marc Cucurella’s announcement as a new Real Madrid player just before Spain’s curtain-raiser at the FIFA World Cup came as a surprise to many, and the player’s performances at the event made him a hugely hyped arrival.
Taking to the field for La Roja , the left-back was consistently one of the best players on the field for his nation and finished the tournament as a pillar of Luis de La Fuente’s side.
Arriving at Real Madrid off the back of such a stellar event, needless to say, made it clear that he would be the undisputed starter at left-back under Jose Mourinho.
The first two games of the season, however, have not followed suit as the manager has preferred Alvaro Carreras over Cucurella.
While that might suggest that the manager rates the former more than the World Cup winner, it is more likely that he was gradually phasing the new signing in considering how he returned late to pre-season.
Now heading into the third game of the campaign, it is high time Cucurella enters the starting lineup, with the manager confirming that to be the case during his press conference.
So far, the new signing has been solid in all his appearances and has left a good impression, arriving at a new club. It will be interesting to see how he fares on his first start for Real Madrid.
Lessons to be carried forward
Real Madrid turned on the style in the second half vs Sociedad. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
One of the biggest takeaways from Real Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad midweek was how the men in white turned their situation completely around in the second half.
While they were in the driving seat throughout, the first half saw a far more balanced game with even the visitors creating their fair share of chances.
After the break, however, it was one-way traffic as Real Madrid dominated, created chances and even finished them with conviction. What changed was the combination play and improved understanding between the big three up front.
Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. have all started the new season strongly, with the Frenchman and Englishman particularly looking in imperious form.
What has been lacking, however, is the understanding between the trio and the acceptance to play for the team and not individual accolades.
In the second half against La Real , Real Madrid finally played with a sense of long-lost selflessness and the trio began combining wonderfully. The buildup flowed without any hindrance and the result followed suit.
Later today, the effort must remain the same. If Real Madrid can continue operating on the same bandwidth and maintain that consistency, there will simply be no stopping them.
Improvement needed in defence
While Real Madrid may well have won both their games so far in La Liga, there is a clear sense that certain departments must improve.
One department that Jose Mourinho has marked in red , on that front, is the defence where Los Blancos have continued to look relatively shaky.
In both of the team’s games so far, Real Madrid have failed to maintain a clean sheet and the defence has been sliced open quite easily. Surprisingly, they conceded shortly after taking the lead on both nights.
The lapses in concentration, needless to say, are simply not acceptable, more so in a team led by Mourinho where the defence is the heart of the team’s success.
Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been the manager’s preferred centre-halves so far this season, and all signs point to them continuing in that position. However, every game at this point is a test where they must show conspicuous improvement.
Concurrently, there will be more emphasis on improving the overall defensive output and working as a collective unit on that front. That too will remain a point of focus as the men in white grace the field for the third time in the new season.
Keeping a clean sheet, needless to say, will be an unsaid objective for the team as a whole, with special emphasis on the double-pivot and defence.
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