LaLiga 2018-19: 6 observations from Real Madrid's loss to Levante

Real Madrid is one of the most, if not the strongest clubs in world football. Their past few results have been downright pitiful and for the reigning three-time European Champions, it's uncharted territory, to say the least.They have not been able to put up a convincing performance since the mauling of Roma at the Bernebau back in September, and to the manager, fans and players alike, it feels like a lifetime ago.The backroom staff and playing squad have undergone a lot of changes since the win over Liverpool, and any reshuffle like this was always going to hamper the chances of the team continuing on the rich title winning vein they were in (at least in Europe).The club lost it's most influential coach and player in one fell swoop, and the team after suffering a few injuries are struggling to replace those who departed.Lopetegui's training methods differ from that of Zidane's as the team looks to emulate a free-flowing possession-based system.This was the same system that was followed by the Spanish National team under Julen Lopetegui, and Real is taking notably fewer shots from outside the box, which became a trademark for them under Zidane.A few promising signs here and there have been on show, but mostly it has not been up to standard and things need to improve or else the coach could be in trouble. Here are my observations from this game week.#1 Ronaldo is missed Juventus reaping the rewards of having Ronaldo. Miss me Madrid?Despite the fans' reluctance to admit it ( and more importantly, the board's) Cristiano Ronaldo is missed.After seeing Real gel well in preseason and at the beginning of the LaLiga campaign, the early signs looked good. Great even.The Spanish contingent of the team was really coming along and it looked like a Perez masterstroke to sell a player past his best at a profit.This move was also helping youngsters like Asensio (more on him later), Mariano etc. to flourish and players like Bale and Isco to cement their own places in the team.Everyone thought with no more Ronaldo popping up in goalscoring areas meant other players would share the goals around with each other, and that looked the case till 20th September (The Roma game).Then the rails fell off. Gareth Bale is a top 10 player when he's fit and on song, but the Welsh Superstar has been injury prone in the past few seasons, and he has not been able to stay fit for the entirety of a season since his debut campaign (for which he arrived with a knock).And while he is amazing, he cannot suddenly be expected to bang in 30 plus goals a season. Ronaldo, for all his flaws, was a perfect goalscorer, and his aura alone sends a shiver down the spine of any defender on the planet.Even when we saw the best of the players we expected to turn up this season, they always had the world's best player (arguably) occupying the attention of two or more defenders, opening up spaces for others to exploit.Not purchasing a player to even attempt and play the same role or take up the same spaces was foolish.Surely an investment in Hazard or a player of a similar ilk could have gone a long way in helping a manager whose team is bereft of any real attacking threat since the departure of their record goalscorer, and all it took was two to three short injuries to derail their early season momentum.

LaLiga 2018-19: 6 observations from Real Madrid's loss to Levante

#4 Courtois was an unnecessary purchase