How and why Real Madrid have gone from La Liga champs to flops and are already SEVEN points behind rivals Barcelona
Our friends at Football Whispers look at the plight of Zinedine Zidane's men - including the erratic form of Gareth Bale
DESPITE an enviable array of talent, and no shortage of major honours accumulated over the last 18 months, Real Madrid have endured a difficult start to the 2017/18 La Liga season.
The reigning Spanish champions have already dropped seven points after just five games of the new campaign and are playing catch-up, with Barcelona topping the table.
After securing a league and Champions League double, becoming the first team to retain Europe’s top prize in 20 years in the process, were installed as heavy favourites to top La Liga again this season.
Liverpool’s refusal to sell Philippe Coutinho’s only added to Blaugrana frustration in a summer of disarray which also saw superstar forward Neymar move to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee.
Zinedine Zidane’s side’s dismantling of their bitter rivals in the Spanish Super Cup furthered the belief that the best team in Spain resided in the capital.
Madrid’s great rivals were expected to struggle, at least, that is, by their usual high standards.
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to La Liga action against Betis after a five-game ban for a red card and subsequently pushing the referee in Madrid’s Super Cup first-leg victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
The suspension has prevented the four-time Ballon d’Or winner from finding his rhythm this season, able to play in the Champions League but prevented from taking part in domestic action, and his rustiness showed against Betis.
The gap to Barca is alarming from a perspective and Zidane must ensure that it doesn’t grow any wider.
The French tactician should have enough credit, off the back of two Champions League successes, to ride out this storm. But president Florentino Perez is not renowned for his patience with managers.
However, Zidane has the coaching capabilities to turn things around, and no manager in the world boasts a better cast of supremely talented players to work with.
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