The holy trinity, together, are three players who were once practically untouchable. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema have won two Champions League crowns together and have formed a devastating trident up front for Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez, and Zinedine Zidane.
However, they’ve now become expendable and many now think that the Los Blancos would be better off without playing all three at once, but Zidane thinks otherwise and his insistence to start all three when remotely fit concerns critics and fans equally.
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Zidane rested both Bale and Ronaldo for the 4-1 win over Eibar during the weekend and Madrid looked like a team possessed. They played with an urgency and passion that had been missing from this Los Blancos side for the last few weeks. Benzema, especially, looked a different player as he led the Real Madrid side from the front. The Frenchman looked free and loose and produced some of his finest football, scoring two goals and setting up another for James Rodriguez.
Games played | 16 |
Wins | 9 |
| Draw | 6 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Win% | 56.2 |
| Average goals per game | 2.8 |
During an online poll conducted by AS, over 77 percent of Madrid fans said that they would prefer if Zidane didn’t start the Holy Trinity together against Napoli during the Champions League clash and the statistics back the fans.
When all three players have played for Los Blancos during this season, Madrid has managed to win just nine out of a possible 16 matches, drawing six and losing one game. That makes it a win percentage of just over 56%, with an average goals per game ratio of just below three. However, without the entire trio, the stats change dramatically.
Without at least one of the three in the starting lineup, Madrid have won 19 of their 25 matches at a phenomenally higher win percentage of 76%, drawing just four games and losing two in the process.
However, in those fixtures, they have scored an average of 2.9 goals per game and have also conceded fewer goals (1 per fixture compared to 1.5 when Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo all play together). What the stats imply is that on paper, the team works much harder when one, two or all three forwards are not present at the same time.
The issues with the trio have been around for some time now and, when fit, Bale, Benzema, and Ronaldo are simply sensational to watch in attack. They have the ability to find holes in any defensive system and score goals at will especially during big European matches. However, their tendency to pick up injuries, inability to play at a consistently high level and even their lacklustre attitude to the defensive side of the game, pose a major problem for Zidane.
| Games played | 25 |
| Wins | 19 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Win% | 76 |
| Average goals per game | 2.9 |
Looking at their defensive record with and without the trio, Real Madrid have conceded more goals per game with the three big forwards than they have without them – a clear indication that the criticism levied towards them regarding their defensive duties is justified – with the team working much harder when one, two or even all three forwards are not in the team.
Ronaldo is usually exempted from any defensive work, while Bale has been accused of slacking in his defensive duties and Benzema has been criticized, this season especially, for a lack of intensity.
On the other hand, what the fans saw in Eibar and in several other matches was the energy and verve of young talent. Zidane opted for formations which allowed the team to work as a more close-knit unit who defended together, kept the ball under control and even showed tireless effort in charging towards the opposition’s goal.
While they don’t have the attacking potency that they would have with BBC in the squad, their work-rate and intensity make them that much harder to beat. However, despite the fact that the numbers show the likes of Alvaro Morata, Lucas Vazquez, and Marco Asensio working much harder than BBC, it must be noted that they have featured in some of the more easier fixtures, like the early rounds of the Copa del Rey.
Nonetheless, there is an increasing concern, especially among supporters that the lack of defensive intensity when Bale, Benzema, and Ronaldo are on the pitch could eventually end up hurting Zidane’s La Liga and Champions League hopes as they approach the business end of the season.
