5 stats that show how Real Madrid have improved this season

#4 The attack is more menacing than last year

Real Madrid target man Karim Benzema is on fire again

Defense is not the only department of Real Madrid earning plaudits. The attack has significantly improved too, with Karim Benzema once again leading the charge.

While scoring 40 times from 22 games doesn't sound outstanding, an average of 1.81 goals per game is still an upgrade from the average of 1.65 last season.

The Blancos are certainly playing with a higher intensity this season, having found the shooting boots again. This is also reinforced by the stat that their average of 17.89 shots per game is the highest in the division.

17 different players have scored in the league so far - as much as the whole of last season. So the goals have been more evenly distributed too.

Without Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line, the side's attacking output has expectedly dipped since last season. Yet, the team is slowly but steadily finding its attacking rhythm.