Real Madrid started poorly in Vallecas and was 2-0 down until the 36th minute. They struggled to find their rhythm, but a powerful shot from Valverde, which was the first shot on goal, and a header from Bellingham just before half-time were enough to equalize. It feels like Madrid are taking a nap at the start of this season, confident that they are so good that everything will sort itself out in time as they gradually wake up and shake off their inertia. The intensity Rayo displayed required a bigger and better commitment, but they continue on their own path and need time to adjust.
Rodrygo’s goal early in the second half, in which he produced his best performance of the season, reinforces the theory of complacency that Ancelotti’s men have towards La Liga and their lives. From that moment, after Isi’s goal, they fell back into their old habits: losing control of the ball. With a total of 27 injuries in four months, they have an excuse as they seem to be losing pace game after game and the coach has limited resources. But this cannot explain everything, because if football is a state of mind, as Valdano once famously said, the mood in Madrid tends towards melancholy. They miss their former selves and only occasionally seem to be able to motivate themselves, relying on isolated moves, moments of brilliance, or sudden bursts of energy to solve their problems and reconnect with joy.
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A win in Vallecas would have meant provisional leadership against an exuberant Barcelona, brimming with the passion and raw energy of a youth that can also falter at times. But the Madrid siestas remain unable to apply pressure, still too preoccupied with the dilemma of who occupies the left flank in their attack and debating the need to reinforce a squad that Ancelotti is struggling to find can articulate and who has fallen short of expectations as he continues to experiment, wander around and offer vague answers to the puzzles.
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