Santiago Solari’s perfect start as Real Madrid manager was brought to an end by a passionate and intense performance from Eibar. Problems from the Lopetegui era are yet to be solved while their hosts recorded arguably the best result in the history of the club. Tactical analysis by Martyn Davis. Eibar went into this match off […]
Celta de Vigo came out to play with one mission in mind – injure as many Real Madrid players as possible. Suffice to say, they succeeded, as Casemiro, Nacho, and Reguilón were all forced to come off hurt, making Madrid’s chaotic, hard-fought victory a pyrrhic one. Though Real Madrid manager Santiago Solari has not had […]
Julen Lopetegui has given his own board an eye-opener. In a bad way, that is. The manager of Real Madrid failed in El Clásico on the tactical level, right when he needed to succeed the most. Barcelona benefited, despite a bold and effective countermove from Lopetegui during half-time. The former Spanish national team manager needs […]
Julen Lopetegui is not a enviable man. Of course, most people would not think twice when they get the chance to become manager of Real Madrid. But Lopetegui got his chance in very special circumstances. He doesn’t just have to deal with the usual over-the-top expectations that come with this job. He has to do […]
Alavés rewarded their excellent performance and near-perfect game plan with a last-second winner, which allows them to catch Real Madrid in LaLiga’s table. Real Madrid complete their fourth match in a row without scoring, having lost three of those, and talks about a true ‘crisis’ are surely about to increase in the capital. Real Madrid […]
Real Madrid started this game having not won a single Madrid derby at home in LaLiga since 2012. A trend that lived on after the ninety minutes came and went. Thus, despite some good adjustments from Real manager Julen Lopetegui in the second half, Atlético Madrid’s rock-solid defense fended off Dani Ceballos and co. and […]
What happens if you manage to win every duel in midfield, score at least one goal out of set pieces and turn a corner kick of the opponent into a goal in your favour? Well, you become almost unbeatable. You can even beat Real Madrid with a clear, let’s say, 3-0. If you ever can: […]
Real Madrid dominated the first half thanks to Julen Lopetegui’s increasingly familiar possession-based strategy and assured performances from his midfielders. This changed in the second period, as Lopetegui made second half substitutions that lost them control of the game and allowed Espanyol chances to equalize the final 1-0 scoreline. Espanyol manager Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, […]
Real Madrid goes back to Zidane-esque tactics to outclass a confused AS Roma. Real achieved an overwhelming 3-0 victory through great moments in both possession and counter-attacking play. The ambitious Julen Lopetegui wants his Real Madrid side to impose a dominant possession game week in, week out, against any rival. An objective that requires a […]
Athletic Bilbao burst out of the gates with a high-octane press that unsettled Real Madrid’s seasoned technicians and raised the game to a frightening tempo. Julen Lopetegui embraced the chaos in the second half by bringing on Casemiro, Isco and Lucas Vázquez, but it only proved enough to salvage a 1-1 draw. Real Madrid arrived […]