5 Ways Real Madrid Can Win The Treble This Season

Real Madrid had a dismal start to the season when they lost to their city rivals Atletico Madrid in the European Supercup. Atletico looked like a more superior team throughout the match downplaying all the times that Real Madrid has had an upper hand on them in the past in European fixtures.

Real Madrid clearly missed the charisma of Zidane in the dugout, and the goal poaching abilities of Cristiano Ronaldo in the opponent's box. But the picture we have seen of Los Blancos during the pre-season and the La Liga opener against Getafe is quite different. They were seen playing beautiful football, dominating the possession and moving the ball around with utter ease.

Real Madrid had 78 per cent possession in a night where Getafe had seven of their players booked in order to stop a flamboyant Real Madrid attack. The scoresheet could have been worse for Getafe had Real Madrid finished all the chances that ended up on the crossbar. The defence looked sturdy as well as they hardly allowed any clear cut chances to their opponents.

In this article, we will take a look at the things they will have to work upon to have a historic treble-winning season ahead.

#1 Proper rotations in the midfield:

Real Madrid's midfield comprises of Isco Alarcon, Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos, Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Marcos Llorente. With a midfield like that one, it is hard to have a bad day in the centre of the field. The quantity and not the quality is a concern for Real Madrid here. Real Madrid had to lose Mateo Kovacic for a season to Chelsea because of the lack of playing time in the previous seasons. Marcos Llorente and Ceballos were also handed very less playing time but they have luckily chosen to stay on at the Bernabeu.

With proper rotation among the midfielders, Real Madrid could easily dominate all their opponents throughout the season. They don't have Cristiano Ronaldo anymore to score 50 goals a season for them, and so they will have to rely on an amazing midfield group this year.

#2 Buy strikers who guarantee 20 goals every year in the league:

Benzema in action Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - UEFA Super Cup

Let's be realistic, Benzema is very good when it comes to building up play and holding the ball, but he is not a goal poacher. Real Madrid has lost almost 50 goals per season by selling Cristiano and they have not signed a proper replacement yet. In the striking department, Real Madrid has Benzema. Borja Mayoral has been retained as his replacement. Sadly, he hasn't shown much promise. Vinicius is a young and exciting prospect but he cannot be relied upon in big matches due to his inexperience. Bale can chip in goals from time to time but he isn't a kind of player whose main game is waiting in the box as a target man, so Real Madrid needs to sign a striker who can be a threat inside the box.

Icardi looks to be the best option for Real Madrid in the current transfer market. If a striker is not bought and unfortunately Benzema gets injured, the lack of depth in the attacking department can haunt them all season.

#3 Fix the leaky defence:

Real Madrid conceded 4 goals against Atletico Madrid, a team that isn't known for scoring heavily every match. The whites never conceded these many goals against any team in a single match under Zidane. The key to winning a game is scoring goals but the key to winning a championship is a strong defence. Real Madrid will have to keep a check on the number of goals they concede due to silly defensive errors.

They need to buy a proper left back to replace Theo who has left on a loan to Real Sociedad. Vallejo is injury prone and needs to be properly managed. The biggest dilemma is to choose the number one choice goalkeeper between Courtois and Navas. Both of them have been amazing in the recent past so it is going to be a hard choice for the manager.

#4 Pay special attention to Gareth Bale's fitness

After the departure of the iconic number 7, Gareth Bale is undoubtedly the main man at Real Madrid. He has been prone to injuries in the last few seasons, but his fitness is going to be a huge factor in determining the outcome of Real Madrid's season. His pace on the wings is going to provide another dimension to the Real Madrid attack, which is expected to be more of a possession-based style this season. He is also expected to be one of the leading goal scorers for the Madrid based club.

He has looked good so far in the pre-season and in the two competitive matches, and the Madridistas will expect an injury free season for him to give them the best chances of lifting silverware.

#5 Have trust in Lopetegui and stop searching for the next Ronaldo:

Lopetegui came to Real Madrid amongst huge controversy as he was fired from the Spanish national setup because he had agreed to join the Santiago Bernabeu based club. He has barely had time at the club but a loss against city rivals Atletico Madrid has already started attracting criticism. That is a part and parcel of being at a big club like Real Madrid, a good season at other clubs might not be good enough according to their standards. What is worth worrying is the tendency of Real Madrid being impatient with their coaches and not giving them enough time to settle.

Perez needs to give Lopetegui the much necessary time which he truly deserves owing to his success with the Spanish National team. He has arrived in the absence of the talisman Cristiano Ronaldo which is going to make things harder for him.

Real Madrid fans also need to stop expecting a player to fill the boots of the legendary number 7. Players like him come once in a decade and expecting a player to replicate another one's achievements is an impractical aspiration.

If Real Madrid takes these points into consideration, we might see a successful season for them this time around.

Edited by Anirban Banerjee