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REAL MADRID

No goals and a worrying lack of shots

Julen Lopetegui likes to play a certain way and Real Madrid's possession looks good while their shot total against Alavés was nowhere nearly good enough.

Update:
Bale y Benzema.
JUAN FLORDIARIO AS

After Real Madrid's last three games, Julen Lopetegui is right in saying that the fans deserve more. As Real Madrid's patience wanes, Lopetegui understand that "football works by goals and not based on merit." These merits, said Lopetegui arrived given the possession and above all else, the chances at goal they have created in recent weeks. In Vitoria on Saturday night, there was too much of the first and not enough of the latter. 

The new Madrid has shown how much it prizes possession, reaching its high point against Roma when they didn't abuse it either. They had 59% in that game in a dominating display with a mass of shots with 30 in total. They are currently in the middle of their longest goal drought since 1985 even if the possession stats look good.

Lopetegui's possession style is working, but no goals

This is the basis of Lopetegui's style. Control the game with the ball, and aside from that, create chances. Against Espanyol they had 65% with 19 chances and against Sevilla it was 60% with 21 shots. Against CSKA is reached 72% with 26 efforts at the opponent's goal. In these games, Real Madrid's goalscorers didn't show their best face, however, and with Moscow as the extreme example, it's a look at how the manager wants to play.

"It's true," Lopetegui says. "The data is mathematical. My interpretation is different. The team has had, aside from the first half againt Sevilla, a good attitude, played well and we have created chances. The goals will come. If we keep creating chances, sooner or later, we will score." But in Vitoria, against Alavés, it was different. It's true that they had the greater percentage of possession with 70%. But they only had 13 shots. None of them were clear chances at goal like they had in the derbi. 

Without shots on goal, the situation becomes more concerning. Madrid have scored a goal every 11.8 shots, and like at Mendizorroza, the margin for error is too small. Lopetegui said in his interviews after the game that they need to get their injured players back. And they also have to rediscover their ability to create chances.