Modest rival, problem for sure

Madrid magnify itself before its peers, but it dwarfs before the modest. “We minimize Madrid,” Quique boasted after Getafe’s victory. Casemiro also issued his diagnosis. “We are having problems when we play against five back lines. When we have fallen it has been against three centrals,” lamented the midfielder. The contradiction is becoming a tonic for Madrid in the last seasons. The teams at the bottom, who lock themselves up and leave without complexes that whites seize possession, choke them now to those of Ancelotti and before to those of Zidane.

The madridista team reached against the Getafe 73.68% possession. It was the fourth game with more control of the ball this season for the leader of the League. None of the four won them. He drew against Cádiz (0-0 and 82.06% possession for Madrid), succumbed to Sheriff at the Bernabéu (1-2, 75.66%), he also drew against Osasuna (0-0, 74.73%) and was defeated at the Coliseum. Of those four games, he was only able to score in the Champions League. In the defeat against Espanyol and the draw against Levante, it also registered high possession data: 65.53% and 61.42% respectively. Of the four games in which he had less possession than his rival, he only punctured against Villarreal (0-0, 48.67%), the only one of the fifteen games that has not won when they have had less than 60% possession that already averages this Madrid.

Nor is it necessary to delve into the statistics of each game to warn of Madrid’s problems to carry out the games against theoretically inferior rivals. After completing the first round of the championship, Madrid has made full of victories against the first eight: they have beaten Sevilla, Atlético and Rayo at the Bernabéu and Betis, Real Sociedad, Barcelona and Valencia at home. But nevertheless, of the last five they have only managed to beat Elche and Alavés. In addition to losing in Getafe (16th), they drew against the two teams that close the table: Cádiz and Levante.

An evil that Madrid drags in recent years

Madrid has been faltering for three seasons against the most modest. The conquest of League 34 in 2019-20 was also marked by a similar tonic. The three league defeats of the champion they came against teams in the second half of the table, among them the descended Mallorca. In the 14 games against the first eight of the championship, Madrid only gave up three draws …

History repeated itself last season. Although he did win the six games against the three teams that were relegated to Second, the four defeats came against teams that finished in the last ten: Cádiz (12th), Valencia (13th), Levante (14th) and Alavés (16th). The title escaped, among other causes, because against the first eight they tied three more games than the previous year.

Possession also proved to be a drag last season., in which whites averaged a figure (59.46%) very close to the current one. The three games with the highest possession of the ball for Madrid (74.83% against Cádiz, 73.03% against Alcoyano and 70.31% against Athletic in the Super Cup) ended in defeat for Zidane’s team. And the other in which it exceeded 70%, in the visit to Osasuna (70.11%), ended with a goalless draw. On the other hand, of the eight games in which he had less possession than the rival, he won six, tied one and lost another. The Cup, again with Alcoyano in front, will present Madrid with another match scenario of those that resist it.