Real Madrid endured their first defeat this season as they fell 5-2 to arch-rival Atletico Madrid, with Xabi Alonso’s men getting completely outclassed.
The lack of any defensive coherence led to Atleti scoring goals for fun at the Metropolitano. One of the players who struggled on the night was Dean Huijsen.
The former Bournemouth prodigy has been one of the rising stars in La Liga this season. But he simply couldn’t compete against the physical nature of the Atletico Madrid forwards.
After the game, Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso as well as the technical team issued a warning to Huijsen.
According to Defensa Central, they reminded the Spanish international that he was poor in aerial duels, losing most of the balls and failing to deal with the physically-adept Atleti forwards.
The coaching staff urged Huijsen to improve on that aspect, especially now that he has become a first-team regular for Los Blancos.
Although the youngster is brilliant when it comes to bringing the ball out from the back, his lack of physical and aerial dominance can make things easy for his opponents.
Therefore, Alonso was quick to point and urge Huijsen to improve physically. But he wasn’t the only one who struggled on the night.
Apart from Eder Militao, who picked up a knock and was replaced at half-time, most Real Madrid defenders had no answer to Atletico Madrid’s attacking onslaught.
However, as Dani Carvajal pointed out after the game, it is important to move on and make things better in the coming matches.
Real Madrid’s next game is on Tuesday when they take on Kairat Almaty, a game in which Alonso could make a few changes, especially given the long travel schedule.