THis defeat in Pamplona showed some of the flaws that this Real Madrid team has shown all season. The deficiencies showed up against Osasuna, were at least minimized against Real Sociedad and Benfica, and showed up again against El Sadar.
One of these flaws appears when Madrid need players coming off the bench to shake up the game and change the look. Stirrer. So far, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa have not found a player off the bench who can radically change the game in a season that is already at a decisive stage.
According to La Liga data, Madrid are at the bottom of the table in terms of goal assists from the bench. Los Blancos are limited to two scorers and two goals. Goals from Fran García (who scored his fifth goal in the 5-1 extra-time win over Betis) and Vinicius, also after 90 minutes, clinched a 3-0 victory in Oviedo. There was nothing major different.
There are only four teams on the same level as Madrid in this respect: Oviedo and Alavés (2 goalscorers, 2 goalscorers), Getafe and Mallorca (2 goalscorers off the bench), but they have scored 3 goals as a team. Only in the case of Los Blancos were these goals by substitutes worthless in terms of points.
Barcelona has a plan B.
In the constant battle for the La Liga championship with Barcelona, Hansi Flick has the peace of mind to be able to look to the bench and find a solution when the competition gets tough. In La Liga matches, Barcelona have eight players who have started on the bench and scored goals. There were 13 goals in total and this was the last goal scored by Fermin against Levante in this match.
In his role as a substitute goalkeeper, Antoine Griezmann has been the most reliable player in La Liga so far. With six goals in five appearances off the bench, the Rojiblanco became LaLiga’s best instigator.
Madrid, on the other hand, are struggling to find that profile. There is little trace of Brahim Diaz, who carried the flag two seasons ago. The Spanish international was the leader of Ancelotti’s second unit, which produced good results and led the team to La Liga and Champions League titles.Brahim and Josel were the keys to many victories for the last Madrid team to win a major title. The centre-forward’s appearance was a source of energy on many occasions, but the most important was his brace against Bayern in the Champions League semi-final.
That role currently lies with Gonzalo. The player from this junior team has scored a considerable number of goals, six goals, all of which came in matches in which he started: three against Betis, one against Real Sociedad, and against Barcelona (Supercopa) and Albacete (Copa del Rey). His game-changing appearances, such as against Pamplona and Rayo, were to play on the right, but it was clear that he was not comfortable in this position and was not able to utilize his virtues as an area player.
The role of revolutionary could fit Rodrigo’s profile, as the Brazilian has decided to stay. He has three goals for the season, all of which came in matches in which he started against Manchester City, Atlético Madrid (Supercopa) and the visit of Vitoria in La Liga. He came off the bench 18 times, but did not score in any of them.Endrick was on loan at Lyon, but despite being the player who best fit the provocateur profile before his loan, he has been forgotten and Mastantuono lives in a fog. His role in the team has diminished, with him playing zero minutes in the last two league games, and his minutes off the bench (nine) having little impact.
With the season already geared towards winning the title, Real Madrid are looking for reliable players to change the game. So far, no one has stepped up to claim the role. Brahim Diaz and Eduardo Camavinga scored for Kazakhstan in the Champions League
