Real Madrid lost 0-4 in the El Clasico match in which they were the hosts. It was truly a fatal blow for the defending champion of both La Liga and Europe. No matter what Carlo Ancelotti says, no matter how unlucky Kylian Mbappe is, it cannot justify this failure and collapse.
A loss is not a fatal disaster in a road title race. But the 0-4 defeat was truly a disaster, it clearly showed that Real is a massive but lacking connection and is very fragile. They were defeated by a Barca mired in debt, scandals, and conflicts in just 45 minutes.
Remember, the strength and position correlation of Real and Barca at the beginning of this season is different. Real is praised for its young, talented players whose value has skyrocketed, while Barca is in a completely opposite situation. However, those high-value new blood lines did not help in this El Clasico match.
Ancelotti’s team is not without a chance but the defeat is deserved. Real’s defensive system has been exposed for its weakness, especially on the wings. The complete collapse in the second half, after Lewandowksi scored a killer double in the 54th and 56th minutes, was completely unsurprising.
Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy were completely helpless before the stormy attack of Lamine Yamal and Rafinha. Meanwhile, Camavinga and Bellingham also became useless in the task of intercepting from afar, especially on their wings. It was they who made Barca’s offside trap work extremely effectively in this match.
Overall, Real’s defense was a mess in the second half of this match. If Lewandowksi shoots more accurately, perhaps Real will know what the results of tennis are in football. The central defenders Rudiger and Militao also had a bruised day because of Barca’s attack, especially the mischievous situations of old man Lewandowksi.
Bellingham’s decline is surprising and not surprising because it seemed his luck was over after winning the Champions League. Bellingham has been in decline since EURO 2024 and this season. Last season’s scoring machine is now in a sluggish and muted mode, and has lost all creativity in the midfield.
Not a single killer pass was thrown, not a single big opportunity was created from this “English patient” in the 2024/25 season and especially in last night’s El Clasico match. It seems that Bellingham is seeing a flash at the Bernabeu of Jonathan Woodgate or David Beckham. He is no longer the fierce hero of Barca like last season.
Bellingham is a pathetic example that symbolizes Real’s midfield being rejuvenated in the direction of “big arms and legs are fine”. Creativity and wisdom have left the midfield, especially when Toni Kroos left, making Real’s playing style no longer sharp. It’s even worse when combined with a star-studded attack that’s inconsistent and lacks connection.
Kroos’s retirement leaves a huge void. Real has lost one of the best midfielders in the club’s history. Even in his final season, Kroos still showed remarkable influence. Currently, Los Blancos’ midfield is becoming out of control.
Without Kroos, the responsibility falls heavily on the shoulders of Aurelien Tchouameni and Valverde. In fact, both of these players played well. They both have more touches of the ball and complete more passes than any other midfielder in La Liga. However, that is still not enough sand to fill the void left by the veteran. Valverde has yet to bring the same flair or consistency in setting the tempo of the game as Kroos.
It’s sad that we have to witness the old man Luka Modric having to play the role of trumpeter to urge the white-shirted army. At an age where he should just be playing leisurely and trim, Modric is still the most significant source of creativity at the Berbabeu last night. However, no matter how much he blows, Modric still has to witness Real’s collapse.
But anyway, Real was also unlucky when it was swept by a storm of injuries. The injury forced Bellingham to sit out for a month at the beginning of the season and when he returned, he became a dull, rusty knife. Brahim Diaz also had a long-term groin problem in September, when he was gaining the absolute trust of the coaching staff in attack.
Midfielder Camavinga also had to rest for 6 weeks due to a knee injury and has only just returned to the field. In defense, Real also lost David Alaba long-term due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, and Dani Carvajal for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. It’s really bad luck.