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Real Madrid didn’t enjoy the best of pre-season tours of the United States. Zinedine Zidane’s side failed to win any of the three games they had participated in, losing on penalties to Manchester United, before being beaten comprehensively by Manchester City.
Los Blancos showed some fight and spirt in their final pre-season game, against Barcelona at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami but still ended up on the losing side with Ernesto Valverde claiming a win in his first ever El Clasico – one which was held outside of Spain.
However, there were more positives for the reigning La Liga champions, than negatives and here we have summarized the important takeaways from the club’s pre-season tour.
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Here are the 5 things we learnt from Real Madrid’s pre-season tour:
#5 Real Madrid have the perfect squad spirit
Real Madrid almost have a perfect squad despite the departure of Alvaro Morata, Pepe, Danilo, James Rodriguez and Mariano. The Santiago Bernabeu outfit are well equipped in all the departments, bar probably defence and look set to challenge for top honours once again.
Zinedine Zidane’s side have a very good squad spirit with the players focussed on the collective good of the team, rather than personal records. The arrival of Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos, coupled with the return from loan of Jesus Vallejo, Marcos Llorente, Borja Mayoral and Diego Llorente is going to provide the team with further depth in squad, which will be essential in pack schedules of February, March and April.
#4 They are slightly light in defence and maybe need another striker
While the team that Zinedine Zidane currently has is good enough to challenge on all fronts, a couple of injuries could cripple them. Los Blancos have lost 2 defenders and 2 forwards so far in the window and despite the recruitment of youngsters will probably need a couple of signings to have all their bases covered.
In the heart of Madrid’s defence, they have Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Nacho and Jesus Vallejo, while they only have Karim Benzema and Borja Mayoral as the established strikers. An injury to Ramos or Benzema could force the hands of the manager and in light of the fact that the club will be playing in excess of 60 games this season, it is in their best interest that they should recruit in these two departments.
#3 Marco Asensio – One to watch out for
Marco Asensio played an integral role in Real Madrid’s double winning campaign last season. The Spanish midfielder notched up 38 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos, scoring 10 goals in the process.
However, it wasn’t until the recently concluded UEFA European Under-21 Championship that he showcased the range of skills that he possesses to the entire world.
The 21-year-old was a key player for the Spanish side – who finished runners up, losing to Germany in the final. Asensio not only was a threat with his goalscoring, he was also a treat to watch as he glided past defenders. The Spaniard finished the tournament as the joint second-highest scorer, and was also named in the Team of the Tournament.
Asensio is destined for great things in the future and it is safe to say that Real Madrid have a real gem in their team.
#2 The club’s focus on Castilla is paying off
Real Madrid currently have as many as 8 players in the first-team squad who either came through the ranks or played for Real Madrid Castilla.
The Santiago Bernabeu outfit have witnessed a huge shift in their transfer strategy under Zinedine Zidane, with the focus no longer on the signing of Galacticos, instead, more importance is given to players who are required to improve the squad.
Los Blancos have also started using Castilla very efficiently and the dividends of it are already visible and it is only going to improve from here.
#1 Real Madrid’s dependence on Cristiano Ronaldo is decreasing day by day
While on one hand Barcelona continue to be over-reliant on the genius of Lionel Messi, the same cannot be said about their arch-rivals Real Madrid – who are becoming less and less dependent on the match-winning prowess of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The first real test of this was last season, when during the busy schedule of April, Ronaldo was oft rested for Los Blancos’ home games. The Portuguese did play a starring role in their UEFA Champions League triumph but the team weren’t entirely dependent on him for their La Liga win.
Ronaldo at 32 is not getting any younger and it is essential that the club utilizes him very cautiously and efficiently and in Zinedine Zidane they have the manager who can do it with extreme precision as we have seen in the last 2 seasons.
