Can Real Madrid weather the ‘mini storm’ in April?
Should Madridistas be looking forward to an exciting set of fixtures in early April or do they need to be worried?
Last week saw a jam-packed footballing schedule with several international friendlies taking place along with the beginning of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Europe.
Luis Enrique’s Spanish national team managed to grab a late winner in their second qualifier after a lacklustre performance in their opening match to bring themselves back on course for the soon-to-be “spectacle” in Qatar. They also managed to dispose of Kosovo with relative ease.
Yet, it wouldn’t be surprising if the football media and fans in Spain are waiting for this week to be over. On the sixth of April, Europe’s biggest club competition resumes, and Real Madrid is the only club from Spain left in the final eight of the competition. Both Atleti and Barcelona failed to qualify for the quarter-finals this year after disappointing losses in the Round of 16.
A Tuchel lead resurgent Chelsea managed to deny the La Liga leaders even a sniff at victory with two clean sheets against Luis Suarez and company. In Barcelona, Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick in their 4–1 win secured the tie for the Parisians against Messi and Co.
In the first leg of their final eight fixture, the Merengues will host fellow Champions League finalists from 2018, Liverpool, at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano as the Bernabeu remains under renovation. Both teams are reigning champions of their respective leagues but, not everything has gone according to plan this year.
Real Madrid is six points off leaders Atleti, while Liverpool is languishing at seventh with no hopes of retaining their title.
The same weekend will see what many regards as the biggest game in club football, the El Clasico, followed by the players travelling to an empty Anfield for the second leg of the Champions League tie.
The Los Merengues have found their stride in recent weeks with several players returning from injury, including club captain Sergio Ramos and youngsters Rodrygo and Valverde.
Benzema was also unavailable for a few weeks before returning against Athletico, where he seemed a bit out of sorts and still managed to get a late equaliser. With eight goals in his last six games, the French forward looks ready to rumble for the final quarter of the season.
Modric does not play like he is 35 years old, while Toni Kroos has often enjoyed playing a bit further forward than in the years before.
Varane and Nacho have proven to be capable partners in Ramos’ absence so much so that, Zizou fielded a three-man central defence upon his return, allowing Mendy and Vasquez freedom further down the flank.
It did not necessarily work perfectly. But, it showed that when the time comes, Zidane is willing to try new things.
One position he has no trouble with is in between the posts. Courtois has excelled under him since his poor showing in his first season at the club. Starting Asensio has not played out well, but Zizou has him running circles around defenders when utilising his pace and energy as a substitute.
Talking to the media after the victory at Celta, Zidane was adamant about still being in contention for both the league and the European Cup. His words may boost Madridista's hearts, but an ageing squad still presents some questions as he continues to depend on his ever-trustworthy midfield trio of Modric, Kroos, and Casemiro.
Having Valverde back from a long-term absence allows him to rotate or add another dimension to the midfield. A marked improvement in Vinicius Jr’s final ball comes as a well-needed addition to his game as their last marquee signing — Eden Hazard, continues to struggle, picking up another injury after a brief appearance against Elche in early March.
A ‘Galactico’ signing in the next transfer window is inevitable. With Hazard looking more like Kaka at Madrid than Cristiano, it wouldn’t be a mistake to assume the arrival of a Haaland or Mbappe in the summer. Florentino has proven to be a cunning operator. Despite the not-so-successful first era of Galacticos, he has showcased his qualities as an owner and man-manager in his second term as club President.
It remains to be seen how the next two weeks might change Perez’s opinion of Zidane, a person he otherwise adores.
This Liverpool team has been non-existent in the Premier League title challenge, and Europe seems to be their only shot at silverware this season. Also, Klopp and the company will be out for revenge since the infamous night in Kyiv.
Zidane will be hoping to field his strongest available team barring any injuries against Eibar. He may even give Modric a much-welcome rest after a tiring International break. Eden Hazard will surely miss these games as he continues to recuperate with the Belgian National team's medical contingent. Vinicius Jr or Rodrygo will replace him on the wing, as often seen this season.
This weekend, before Liverpool visits, lowly Eibar struggling with relegation will play the champions. It should be a straightforward victory with Real having bested them in their last four meetings, but one must not discount a well-rested and motivated Eibar taking points off the Blancos, who has sometimes struggled against weaker opposition. They are only two points below Elche, who are 17th in the table.
A team battling relegation tends to put up a fight.
So, by no means will a “straight-forward victory” be an easy task before what is arguably the most crucial game of the season for El Real. Barring a victory at Eibar, the Blancos would possibly struggle to catch up to Barcelona or Atletico in the remaining eight league games.
As good as Barcelona has looked since the beginning of the year, they struggle against teams that keep their structure, and when Messi is not himself. Barcelona has not yet bested Zidane during his second tenure and, if Messi is indeed leaving the club at the end of the season, he would love to gift their fans a victory against their age-old rivals — not for the first time.
Laporta’s rise back to the presidency is being met with expectations of a Xavi and Messi reunion, with the Argentinian seemingly softening his stance of leaving the club at the end of his contract in June.
A resurgent Griezmann and Dembele, along with Messi have seen Barcelona turn to prime challengers to leaders Atleti for the La Liga title. Their battering of Real Sociedad in the week before the international break was an example of how they can break up a team that likes to keep possession and build.
Whereas, Zidane’s Madrid has no particular identity and is adaptive; that saw this same core win three Champions Leagues in a row, a mighty achievement for the squad even with Cristiano Ronaldo. This lot might show up ready to press and counter attempting to unsettle the smooth-playing bunch from Catalunya.
It may not be so easy against Klopp’s boys, who like to run rings around their opponents, but we have witnessed multiple teams in the Premier League break them down while they struggled to score. Hopes of progressing to the semis must be high amongst the fans despite the menacing set of fixtures.
I’d say Tuchel’s Chelsea might be harder to break down than both Liverpool and Barcelona — a little note for Zidane if his team progresses.
Update: After the publishing of this article Sergio Ramos posted on Instagram that he has sustained a muscle injury following Spain’s victory over Kosovo.
