Five warning signs at Real Madrid that can’t be ignored anymore

Real Madrid are not reliable. They weren’t before, and they still aren’t. Arbeloa had already warned as much, and he doubled down after the slip in Mallorca: “It’s difficult for players to understand that without giving 200%, we weren’t going to win.” That’s exactly how it played out. Madrid fell once again – their tenth defeat of the season, five of them under their current coach in just 18 games – and effectively handed away more than half the title race at Son Moix.

It was a full-blown collapse with multiple causes. Key players are missing, those available don’t look like themselves, even the club’s historic fighting spirit has faded, the signings are underwhelming, and Plan B no longer delivers. A closer look reveals the cracks.

Mbappé’s paradox

Let’s be clear: Kylian Mbappé, with 38 goals this season, can never be the problem. But right now, he doesn’t look like the solution either. The French forward last scored on February 8, and Madrid’s best run under Arbeloa – five straight wins, including the tie against Manchester City – came without him in the starting lineup.

Madrid learned to survive without him, even producing their best football. Then he returned following the controversy over his knee injury, and suddenly came a painful defeat. It’s not entirely down to him, but he played a part. At Son Moix he had six shots, three on target, all denied by Leo Román, particularly in the first half. His place in the lineup is unquestioned, but he needs to rediscover his scoring touch to justify what Madrid seem to lose collectively and defensively when he plays, especially alongside Vinícius Jr. In Mallorca, they barely troubled the opposition.

A team that doesn’t come back

Vinícius and Mbappé shared the field in the second half, and that period frustrated Arbeloa the most, as he admitted afterward: “Not having played a much better second half is what hurts me the most.” Mallorca went ahead, Madrid barely reacted, and although they equalized from a set piece, they quickly switched off and conceded again.

Comebacks are part of Madrid’s DNA. When they fall behind, they’re supposed to overwhelm opponents in search of a turnaround. What happened in Mallorca looked nothing like that. In fact, Arbeloa’s Madrid don’t appear capable of flipping games: they’ve gone behind seven times and only turned it around twice – against Benfica and Atlético Madrid.

Fitness issues and the injury list

The club points to physical struggles as a major factor this season, with blame directed at Xabi Alonso’s tenure and former fitness coach Ismael Camenforte. Antonio Pintus was brought back into prominence after being sidelined, but the Italian hasn’t managed to reverse the trend – likely due to a lack of time. When Madrid lack quality, they also fail to compensate with intensity, which is surprising given the squad’s physical profile.

Injuries have compounded the problem. Mbappé returned in Mallorca after knee trouble, Jude Bellingham logged more minutes, and Éder Militão also came back. But key absences remain. Thibaut Courtois is still out. Andriy Lunin didn’t make glaring errors, yet Mallorca scored twice from just two shots on target. Miracles are the Belgian’s domain – and he wasn’t there. Nor were Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, or Dani Ceballos.

Big spending, little return

The transfer market is another sore point. Last summer, Madrid spent nearly $195 million (€180 million) on Dean Huijsen, Miguel Gutiérrez Carreras, Franco Mastantuono, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Yet all have raised doubts at various moments.

Huijsen is currently in good form, though he picked up a yellow card in Mallorca that forced his substitution. Trent delivered a pinpoint assist for Militão’s equalizer, but struggled to impose himself consistently. Carreras offered little going forward – not what you expect from a $54 million (€50 million) full-back – and looked soft in the build-up to the decisive goal. Mastantuono has fared worst of all, losing his place entirely. His brief cameo in Mallorca was forgettable: just 12 touches, no successful dribbles, a harmless shot, and the decisive error leading to the 2-1. To make matters worse, he’ll miss the next game through suspension.

No Plan A, no Plan B

There was a time when substitutes could rescue what starters couldn’t. The 2023–24 season, Madrid’s last successful campaign, saw contributions from players like Joselu, Lunin, Nacho Fernández, and Luka Modrić. Every piece mattered in securing the LaLiga–Champions League double.

This season, that second unit barely leaves a mark. Brahim Díaz had no impact in Mallorca, Manuel Ángel offered little in his first start, Mastantuono failed to change anything off the bench, Gonzalo has faded, and Endrick didn’t even get minutes – his goals now belong to Lyon.

Too many cases falling flat. And all of it weighs heavily on a Real Madrid side that already looks beaten in LaLiga.

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