Real Madrid are a cause for concern. Despite narrowly securing first place in La Liga , Xabi Alonso 's team is going through a rough patch where their performances have fallen short. Defeated by Liverpool in the Champions League and then held to a draw by Rayo Vallecano before the international break, the Madrid side hoped to get back on track in Elche. But the league leaders delivered another lackluster and disorganized performance, unable to justify their status against a supposedly weaker team. The late equalizer only partially masked this poor showing (2-2) .
However, the Spanish manager had tried to surprise everyone by completely changing his system. Xabi Alonso had cobbled together a 3-4-3 formation to compensate for the numerous defensive absences, notably with a trio of Asencio, Huijsen, and Carreras behind a very attacking back four. A bold choice, but clearly a risky one. Real Madrid were put under pressure from the outset, unable to play the ball out cleanly and even less able to control the opposition's transitions. Despite his goal, Dean Huijsen was too shaky defensively. Trent Alexander-Arnold, for his part, was frequently out of position on his flank. The Spaniard and the Englishman symbolized the difficulties of the Madrid backline, which was often on the verge of collapse during this match.
Rodrygo lost, Mbappé ineffective, VinÃcius sloppy: the attack derails
The attacking play was also unconvincing. Starting with Rodrygo, who remains plagued by worrying inefficiency: once again goalless this Sunday, the Brazilian has now gone 29 consecutive La Liga matches without scoring. Kylian Mbappé, for his part, had several opportunities but lacked sharpness. The French captain has now gone three games without finding the net, a first since joining the club. As for VinÃcius Júnior, his introduction made no difference. Erratic, individualistic, often irritated and irritating, the 25-year-old winger mainly slowed the game down instead of energizing it and embodied Real Madrid's attacking frustration. Long toothless despite sterile possession, Real Madrid saw Elche deservedly open the scoring, then regain the lead after Huijsen's fortunate equalizer. Bellingham's late equalizer was merely a consolation in what was, overall, a disappointing evening. Even the new players, who were supposed to revitalize the team, haven't really changed the situation.
And while Gonzalo Garcia missed a golden opportunity to win the game in stoppage time, the conclusion remained the same: this Real Madrid side lacked ideas and control, leaving an impression of impotence. Beyond the result (2-2), it's the structural fragility, the lack of attacking cohesion, and Xabi Alonso's questionable choices that raise concerns. Real Madrid has regained the top spot, certainly, but remains stagnant. After the match, Xabi Alonso analyzed this poor performance and stated that he understands his team better and better: " That's football. After a good run, we suffered several defeats. We know what we want: we have to keep moving forward. We're not satisfied; we always want to win. But we can't be. There are many matches left, so we have to focus on the next one by analyzing our performance today. Relationships are improving; we have more time and communication, we know each other better." We're all in the same boat; we celebrate victories and we suffer in defeat. Relations are good. We need to turn things around, starting with Athens. Now it's up to him to find the solution if he doesn't want to lose the dressing room, given that his choices haven't yet won everyone over. The first indication of the answer will come this Wednesday on the pitch against Olympiacos (9 p.m.).
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