Real Madrid responded to Barcelona throwing down the gauntlet in La Liga’s title race with a thrashing of their own, dismantling Deportivo la Coruna 6-2 at the Riazor. The result saw Madrid draw level on points with Barcelona (78), who are first on account of a better head-to-head record, although Los Blancos do have a game in hand.
The visitors ran riot right from the start, with Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez giving Madrid a 2-0 lead, only for Florin Andone to pull one back. Lucas Vazquez scored on the stroke of half time, while goals from James, Casemiro and Isco in the second half ensured that Joselu’s 84th minute goal was only a consolation.
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Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Zidane’s gamble pays off to extend Real Madrid’s incredible scoring run
The reaction to Real Madrid’s lineup on Twitter was quite revealing – many Madridistas were livid with Zinedine Zidane as he rested Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos for what was a crucial game, following Barcelona’s 7-1 demolition of Osasuna. It wasn’t helped by the fact that the Frenchman made 9 changes to the side that started El Clasico.
As it turned out, Real Madrid’s B team is made up of some real quality. Alvaro Morata set the tone right from the off, with an incredibly well-taken goal at the near post, with just 53 seconds on the clock. It extended Real Madrid’s incredible scoring streak to 57 games in all competitions, just 4 shy of Bayern’s European record of 61.
To the day, Real Madrid have gone exactly 1 full year without being prevented from scoring – they were last shutout by Man City on 26th April 2016, scoring 151 goals in 57 games since then. Zidane has overseen the transformation of a side that looked bereft of ideas under Rafa Benitez into one of the most threatening sides in Europe, largely with the same personnel. Perhaps it is time that the fans place some trust in his decisions – this Real Madrid side (even the second string team) has a fondness for breaking records.
#2 James should leave Real Madrid if he does not start against Atletico
Since the time he joined Real Madrid, no midfielder in La Liga has been involved in as many goals as James Rodriguez – the Colombian has been responsible for 52 goals in that time period, scoring 25 and assisting 27. Yet, Zidane continues to relegate James to the bench, but it has not stopped the Colombian from performing; he’s the club’s most productive midfielder this season.
This was the first time that James scored in back-to-back appearances for Real Madrid, though. It indicates that he deserves a run in the side – it is very hard to build momentum as a player when you are afforded starts once in a while. The Colombian’s wife revealed that he’d like to stay at Madrid, but it is time that James seriously takes a look at his career.
On a night where he grabbed a brace, Zidane barely mentioned James in his post-match conference, even though the Colombian was integral to Madrid’s attacking verve against Deportivo. A player of his talents should leave, and shine elsewhere.
#3 Deportivo’s Pepe Mel got his tactics wrong
Pepe Mel has built his career on making his teams hard to beat – he’s the Spain’s answer to Tony Pulis, if you will. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, the Deportivo boss set up his side to be open at the back and push forward in attack right from the off. It went horribly for the hosts – they conceded in the opening minute and could have easily been 3 down in the first 10 minutes, bar some erratic finishing from Madrid.
Consider the fact that Deportivo’s two top scorers are Florin Andone and Celso Borges. The pair haven’t scored since March, but Mel decided that he could take on a Madrid side wounded from their El Clasico loss.
It's not like Depor needed the 3 points - they're 7 points ahead of Gijon in 18th place with 4 games left to play, and could have been perfectly fine with a hard-fought draw against Madrid. This isn't Super Depor of the early 2000s and the sooner the people in charge at the Riazor realise it, the better.
#4 Real Madrid’s defensive record is concerning
The scoreline may have read 6-2 at the final whistle, and added fuel to the fire that La Liga is not as ‘competitive’ as the Premier League, but with the score at 2-1 in the first half, Deportivo really looked like scoring to draw level. The hosts put Madrid under some incredible pressure right before Lucas Vazquez scored Madrid’s third on the stroke of half-time, and it was a fairly incredulous situation, given how dominant Madrid were at the start – the game should have been over as a contest with 10 minutes on the clock.
Zidane really has to take another look at his defensive shape – despite the scoreline, Deportivo were strangely Madrid’s equal in attacking numbers. The hosts ended the game with 19 shots to Real Madrid’s 22, while creating 15 chances to Madrid’s 17. This isn’t anything special on Depor’s part – Madrid are simply too open at the back, something that came back to haunt them in El Clasico.
Los Blancos have only kept 1 clean sheet in their last 11 La Liga games. Madrid's fans continue to find scapegoats, such as Keylor Navas, who has failed to keep a clean sheet in his last 16 appearances, but tonight Kiko Casilla performed fairly well, but still could not shut out Depor. The problem is systemic, and if Zidane does not solve it, the fact that Real Madrid have only the 5th best defence in La Liga could see their title challenge falter.
#5 Isco was Madrid’s crown jewel – but where can he fit in the starting XI?
It was readily apparent to everyone who saw this game that Isco was by far and away the best player on the pitch – and that is backed by the numbers:
Not many players get a standing ovation from opposition fans, but Isco is something special. The Spanish midfielder is in the form of his life at the moment, and deserves all the plaudits coming his way. His manager joined in after the game, saying “He does things that not everyone is capable of and the crowd congratulated him on that. I'm delighted for him after the work he's put in. He always delivers when called upon.”
Except that the last time he was called upon from the start, Isco flattered to deceive. Zidane altered Madrid’s shape to fit Isco in the 2nd leg against Bayern Munich, but the Spaniard looked quiet. Lucas Vazquez is perhaps the ideal player to replace Gareth Bale against Atletico Madrid, not Isco.
