Yan Diomande, Real Madrid player
Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images
Real Madrid’s win over Inter Milan midweek was appreciated and criticised at the same time, primarily because they seemingly escaped from defeat and dished out a poor showing.
Last night, Real Madrid partially turned that situation around by dominating Rayo Vallecano throughout the first-half and killing the game early on, eventually registering a 4-1 win.
There were reasons for worry to take away from the game, primarily the team’s lack of energy after the break, and inability to hold on to possession and create chances of importance.
However, as the manager reiterated in his press conference, his team’s style is not one where they build up to goals but one where pace and counters rule. In that sense, Los Blancos dished out a strong performance.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Real Madrid 4-1 Rayo Vallecano.
It’s always them
Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have been carrying Real Madrid’s attack almost single-handedly so far this season, and last night was no different.
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid superstar
Mbappe produced a solid display vs Rayo Vallecano. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
The Frenchman was the one to open the scoring for Los Blancos from the penalty spot after Álvaro Carreras went down in the box, and then went on to produce a brilliant link-up play with the defender for the team’s second goal.
With a goal and an assist to his name already, Mbappe then struck in added time in the second half to complete the demolition of Rayo Vallecano with another perfect finish, and even hit the post once in the game.
Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, got on the end of Vinicius Jr.’s cut-back and hit it brilliantly first-time to slot it past the goalkeeper and register his name on the scoresheet.
At this point, it has become customary for both stars to score for Real Madrid and they are devastating in the final third. While it may be worrying that the team does not have any other major goalscoring outlets, the duo have proven to be reliable and consistent.
Yan Diomande’s full debut
The inclusion of Yan Diomande in the starting lineup last night caught the attention of fans across the globe, for it marked the player’s first start for Real Madrid since his arrival at the club.
With Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz performing impressively on the right-wing in recent games, there was serious pressure on Diomande to make the most of his start/
While he may not have registered a goal or an assist on the night, his performance was impressive and he left a mark with the energy and pace he brought.
In 72 minutes against Rayo Vallecano, Diomande was reliable on the ball and completed 92% of his attempted passes. He also racked up two key passes and had an xA of 0.09.
The new signing completed three of four attempted dribbles and two of three attempted crosses, showing that he can be a reliable creator from out wide.
He also put in a solid defensive shift and worked hard off the ball, winning three of three attempted tackles, making two interceptions and winning a staggering nine duels on the night.
A goal or an assist would have made his debut special, but there was a lot of promise in what he showed. There is, however, still a palpable difference in output between him and the other options the manager has trusted, and he has a long way to go.
Arda Guler kills the game
When Diomande left the field in the 72nd minute, it was Arda Guler who came on as his replacement on the right-wing. His arrival, in many ways, turned the game completely around.
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid coach
Mourinho looking animated during the Rayo Vallecano clash. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Indeed, Real Madrid were already leading by a 3-1 margin at the time and had the game almost sealed. However, the second-half was anything but easy for the men in white.
The Merengues dropped in intensity after the break and did not operate at the same level as they did in the first-half. They appeared fatigued, and there was no energy in the team’s press.
As a result, Rayo Vallecano grew into the game and began creating opportunities of their own and even dominated the play for the first phase of the second half.
Guler’s entry, however, changed everything and brought the dominance back to Real Madrid’s court. Almost immediately, Los Blancos had a sense of purpose and began creating chances at the other end, taking the steam out of Rayo Vallecano’s sail.
In just 18 minutes and added time, Guler provided the assist for Mbappe’s second goal and had a staggering five key passes for Real Madrid. He also created two big chances and two accurate crosses.
Jose Mourinho admitted in his post-game press conference that Guler makes the team instantly better, and it is safe to say that the player currently has the right-wing role locked in for the big nights.
Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano | La Liga MD 5
Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid stadium
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Real Madrid’s La Liga journey continues on Saturday night as they play host to Rayo Vallecano on Matchday 5 of the competition.
Coming off a win over Inter Milan at the same venue, Real Madrid have bounced back strongly from their defeat against Real Betis last weekend.
The fact of the matter, however, is that the team looked unconvincing against the Serie A champions despite winning and were lucky to be gifted both their goals on the night.
There is a lot to improve on from a Real Madrid perspective, and while it will indeed take time to adapt to a new manager’s ideologies, they simply cannot afford to lose any more points.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano.
Pressure on Vinicius
An unsaid reality of the situation at Real Madrid is that the pressure on Vinicius Jr. is growing exponentially, and the winger will not have it easy with any more poor performances.
The Brazilian star has been far from his best for a long time now, but he has failed to step up convincingly in any of the team’s five games so far.
At a time when Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe are performing week in and week out, Vinicius has failed to deliver at the level expected.
Over the past year, relations between the winger and the Real Madrid fanbase have turned sour and the strain appears to be at an all-time high as matters currently stand.
Such is the condition of the Real Madrid winger that virtually every press conference Jose Mourinho steps into revolves around him. Further, Vinicius is now being openly booed by a section of the fans even in his own stadium
It is high time Vinicius came good for Real Madrid, not only for the club’s betterment but also for his personal confidence.
If the situation persists any longer, the superstar could well collapse for good under the pressure, especially given that he has always been a deeply emotional player who reads a lot into public opinion.
The big game double-pivot
Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde of Real Madrid
Set to start together? (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Aurelien Tchouameni’s fitness prevented him from featuring Real Madrid in the early parts of the season, and he had his first minutes in the win over Inter Milan coming off the bench in the latter stages.
In the meantime, Jose Mourinho has tried multiple double-pivot pairings including Federico Valverde-Bernardo Silva, Valverde-Eduardo Camavinga and others.
However, the manager heavily trusts in Tchouameni and the player’s return will have a massive impact on the coach’s lineups. In fact, the Tchouameni-Valverde pairing is said to be Mourinho’s preferred pivot for big games.
Both players have not started a game together yet this season, and the clash against Rayo Vallecano tomorrow could hand the manager the best chance to see the duo in action together on the field.
In theory, the Valverde-Tchouameni pairing is defensively very solid, but the coach will hope to get a clearer picture of how the team’s buildup, progression, and creativity are affected with two defensively-oriented players.
After all, any experimentation must be completed in the early stages of the season as the scope to make errors dramatically decreases with every passing game.
Moreover, the duo were involved in a dressing room scuffle last season, and it remains to be seen if that plays a role in their pairing.
Chasing a deficit
Just four games into La Liga, Real Madrid are already behind in the title race. While these are indeed just early days, falling behind can never be good.
Los Blancos dropped points in their last game against Real Betis and currently sit on nine points after four games in the competition.
Two teams sit ahead of them in the standings – Deportivo Alaves on ten points and Barcelona on twelve. Just a month into the new campaign, that is a significant difference.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have been flying so far in the competition and do not even appear close to dropping points or being challenged anytime soon.
In that sense, Real Madrid simply have no room for error for they are fighting against a near-perfect rival. Any more slip-ups may take their deficit beyond reach and hand Barcelona a comfortable cushion at the club.
Winning against Rayo Vallecano, and virtually every league game that comes their way, is thus simply vital for the hosts. The margin for error has never been thinner.