Barça four points better off since Zidane's appointment

The fact of the matter is that Zidane’s tenure in the Madrid dugout has been remarkably similar to that of his predecessor. Both him and Benítez were unbeaten in their opening eight games at the helm, recording six wins and two draws apiece. The goal difference slightly favours the former Galactico (+20 vs. +19) and perhaps the strongest argument for Zidane’s appointment is that Madrid have made up three points on Atlético Madrid and could potentially overtake their cross-city rivals in Saturday’s derby.

However, Zizou is being scrutinised for failing to make full use of the team’s early Copa del Rey exit to fine tune tactics. In addition, following last night’s disappointment, he seems to have fallen into the all-too-familiar trap of not being unable to reinvigorate his squad after a Champions League fixture. Real Madrid have only managed to pick up 11 points from a possible 21 after midweek European action. Barca have taken advantage of these continental hangovers to widen the game between the teams a further four points.