According to Marca, Real Madrid’s defeat at Lille (1-0) on Wednesday in the Champions League puts certain members of the club on alert who are worried about the team’s play.
A defeat after 36 consecutive games of invincibility shakes Real Madrid. The newspaper Marca displays, on the front page of its edition this Friday, a quote which illustrates the concern caused by the surprise setback in Lille (1-0), Wednesday in the Champions League. “We have hit rock bottom,” proclaims a club member whose identity has not been revealed. The declaration would reflect the general feeling among certain managers not at all reassured by the face of the team since the start of the season.
“Concern about the game is growing within the club”
“The locker room sets off alarms,” continues Marca. “Concern about the game is growing within the club.” One statistic in particular caught the attention: that of the big difference in kilometers traveled (10) between the Lille players and those of Real (117.9 to 107.1). “The three yellow cards in three minutes are considered a symptom of nervousness,” continues the newspaper, referring to the warnings from Jude Bellingham (78th), Antonio Rüdiger (79th) and Luka Modric (81st).
All eyes now turn to Real’s next match against Villarreal on Saturday (9 p.m., 9th day of La Liga). It will make it possible to “measure the extent of the damage”, continues the newspaper. The Madrid press had already broadcast its fears on Thursday the day after the setback in Lille. “Nothing is like before,” noted the daily As, pointing to the uncompensated departure of legend Toni Kroos (retired) and a more vertical game not yet integrated by the team. He also noted different attitudes of certain executives: “Vinicius is no longer Vinicius and Bellingham is no longer Bellingham”.
The impact of Kylian Mbappé is not as significant as hoped, according to many observers. The French player, who made his return to competition more quickly than expected in Lille, crystallized some criticism after coming into play without any shot attempted. A sequence showing Jude Bellingham exasperated by the attitude of the Frenchman and Vinicius, caught stepping on a defensive action, fuels the tensions of the moment around this Real.
