Real Madrid 2-2 Fuenlabrada (Agg 4-2): 5 Talking Points

#4 Madrid's reserve side the difference this season

Real Madrid v Fuenlabrada - Copa Del Rey

Cristiano Ronaldo pretty much hit the nail on the head with his assessment of Real Madrid's troubles, saying "The players who have arrived have a lot of potential but Pepe, Morata and James made us stronger and the players are younger now."

While the Castilla products making their debut could be forgiven for a nervous, disjointed performance, the likes of Nacho, Marcos Llorente, Dani Ceballos, Borja Mayoral and Mateo Kovacic ought to really have a look in the mirror.

Llorente and Ceballos arrived in Madrid with much fanfare as the next generation of Spanish superstars but did little to justify the hype tonight. It perhaps explains why Zinedine Zidane has been so reluctant to rotate his midfield this season - the pair are a far cry from the likes of James Rodriguez et al.

Zidane's rotation was why Madrid won the double last season, and the reverse may be why they may end up trophyless this year.