La Liga 2016/17: Deportivo Alaves 1-4 Real Madrid - 5 Talking Points

#2 Injury to Pepe

Pepe held his hamstring and may be out for a while

Pepe walked off injured in the 24^th minute of the game, to be replaced by Nacho for the rest of the game. The Portuguese defender first felt a searing pain on his thigh after a corner incident involving Deyverson, Danilo and himself, and he walked off the pitch shortly.

The injury to Pepe leaves Real without 2 world-class centre-backs, as Madrid earlier lost the other starting centre-back Sergio Ramos to injury during the international break. While Nacho has performed admirably and even scored an amazing scissor kick goal in midweek, there is no doubt that Real are a weaker side without their preferred centre-back duo.

Zidane’s headache just got a whole lot worse, even though Real’s fixture list is relatively easy in the next few weeks.