User information
Username:
Password:
Auto login:

New user click here.
Lost your password click here.
 
 
News search
Search:
 
 
Sponsor
 
 
Newsletter
 
 
Article
News
Tuesday 15. January 2019 - 09:53

Real Madrid played with a small team mentality against Betis as Isco debate rumbles on

Some fans will tell you that football is all about winning. That is, without question, the most important thing. But at the very biggest clubs, more is expected.


Real Madrid beat Betis 2-1 at the Benito Villamarin on Sunday night to climb back into the top four of La Liga, but in doing so, Santiago Solari’s side had just 26.3% of the possession.


Even with a number of starters missing, that is not an acceptable stat for the world’s biggest and most successful club. Real Madrid should be setting out to dominate, to control, to dictate. They should want the ball.


Against Betis, they scraped through with five defenders on the pitch and two long-range shots from midfielders, the winner coming from a Dani Ceballos free-kick right at the end of the match after Luka Modric had opened the scoring in the first-half.


It worked this time, but almost did not and Solari must have been bracing himself for a barrage of criticism with the scores at 1-1 and the seconds ticking away.


Madrid will struggle to win the top prizes playing this way. Even though much of Real's football was defensive under Zinedine Zidane, there was still an attacking verve about their performances. On Sunday, there was no such thing.


In the latter rounds of the Champions League and against tougher teams in La Liga, Solari's side will need to be braver and bolder. A club like Madrid cannot and should not play with a small-team mentality as they did against Betis.


This was a debate raised during Jose Mourinho’s time in charge. Despite the trophies, many fans and also some of the players were uncomfortable with the negative style of football and low possession – especially in the Clasico clashes against Barcelona.


"We have a lot of injuries," Solari said. "Especially in attack. And we had to find solutions to try to win the match."


He did that in the end, but the criticism will not go away and the Argentine is in the spotlight again after leaving Isco on the bench, bringing on youngsters Cristo Gonzalez and Brahim Diaz – along with Ceballos – instead of the Spain midfielder.


One of Isco’s close friends later hit out at the Madrid boss on Instagram. " Solari, you have as much idea about football as I do about engineering…" Aitor Costa wrote. "MURDERER of FOOTBALL."


Solari and Real Madrid now face Leganes in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, having won the first leg of their last-16 tie 3-0 last week, before a tough game against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga on Saturday.


It remains to be seen what part, if any, Isco will play in those fixtures. “We have three competitions and we have another game in three days,” Solari said on Sunday.


Isco has played only 410 minutes under the Argentine and has been left out of the starting line-up in 15 of the coach’s 17 games so far,


In six of those, the midfielder has not featured for a single minute, and Madrid have won them all. On Wednesday, though, he should surely get another chance.

 
Provided by: Frank Henriksen
 
 
Fan box

Fan gear

MMSport have lots of Real Madrid gear, just waiting for you. They do everything they can, to get the latest gear to make you a bling bling fan. Click here

Real Madrid Tickets

We can provide tickets for all of Real Madrids games. Just click here, and select from all the games.

Soccer training guide

Soccer training guide is a site that will help you increase your overall soccer skills. You will get tips and advices on how to shoot, pass, dribble and much more.
 
 
Top site buttons