La Liga 2017/18: Deportivo 0-3 Real Madrid, 5 Talking Points

#5 Real Madrid may be stronger than last year

Deportivo La Coruna v Real Madrid - La Liga

The score was 3-0, the game had been won, and then Dani Carvajal conceded a penalty with a lazy challenge. Zinedine Zidane went nuclear on the touchline, absolutely livid with his defender. This is a man who demands perfection and looks ever closer to achieving it.

What got lost amidst all the fanfare of Real Madrid's incredible goal-scoring streak (that is 69 games running now) and the league and European cup double was Madrid's tendency to concede. Theirs was always a leaky defence last year, but what was noticeable against Deportivo was Madrid's ability to shut shop in the second half.

There's a new found fluidity to this side that's slowly beginning to pass their opponents into submission, albeit in a more direct manner that Guardiola's Barcelona vintage. Real Madrid are improving, and that spells danger for the rest of Spain and in fact, the rest of Europe.

44 - There were 44 passes in the build-up for Casemiro's goal, the most before a goal in La Liga since at least 2006/07. Tiki-taka. pic.twitter.com/QgTTjfEieZ

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 20, 2017