Real Madrid 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 Talking Points

#2 Marcelo typifies Madrid's sloppy defensive struggles

Marcelo was at fault for Kane's goal - he and Ramos continue declining at the heart of an unreliable defence

In today's game it's easy to find and scapegoat a player, as a means to justify a club's shortcomings. Real Madrid's player to blame has frequently been Thibaut Courtois over the past twelve months, following his £35m move from Chelsea.

One of the world's best goalkeepers, he is constantly ridiculed for conceding goals aplenty and struggling as part of an underwhelming Real side. The problem is much deeper than simply blaming their star goalkeeper though and this showing without him speaks volumes.

Raphaël Varane hasn't looked the same after his World Cup triumph with France last summer, though injuries and inconsistent form have played their part. Sergio Ramos continues to show signs of his gradual decline, while the Spaniard's mistakes - previously defensible or easily hidden - have intensified in frequency. Nacho Fernandez simply isn't as good as the pair while €50m (£45.8m) signing Eder Militao is an exciting prospect but the jury remains out on the 21-year-old.

Marcelo, who turned 31 in May, continues to get progressively worse while those aforementioned mistakes are becoming more pronounced across the backline. It's no wonder they appear so nervy and keen to play safe when under opposition pressure.

The Brazilian was at fault for Kane's goal, after successfully keeping a heavy pass in play before inadvertently teeing the Englishman up through on-goal. With Ramos next to him, the pass evaded his captain and despite their best efforts, they couldn't recover in time to complete a miraculous challenge, leaving Navas helpless in the process.

£47m signing Ferland Mendy is expected to miss their first few games of the league campaign due to a hamstring injury, but this collective defensive showing proves you cannot just throw money at a problem and expect a quick fix.