As the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid are consistently expected to succeed. Zinedine Zidane saw immense success in his first stint as manager from 2016-2018, but since his and Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the club, some say it is no longer the same powerhouse it once was. Coming off a league win but an early Champions League knockout in 2020, what does the 2020/21 season have in store for Los Blancos?
Setting the Scene: 2019/20
The shaky, delayed end to the 2019/20 season caught many of us off guard, and every team struggled with fitness, travel, and health issues across the board. In addition, the European giants played the last of their fixtures away from the Bernabeu as it began its renovation, playing instead closer to their training ground, in the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium. Nevertheless, they finished with a strong unbeaten streak, pulling ahead by five points of second-place El Clásico rivals Barcelona.
Despite strength at home, Real struggled to keep up in Europe. They came second in Group B of the Champions League, and could not keep up with Manchester City’s goalscorers, who sent the whites home in the round of 16. It wasn’t the European experience Zidane has become used to as Real Madrid manager.
2020/21 So Far: An Average Start
After a season full of highs and lows, Real Madrid have continued to keep fans on the edge of their seats. Hovering in the top 3 league leaders but never dominating, and conceding a goal a game, their season trajectory is yet to be determined. Karim Benzema leads the team once again in goals and assists, while youngsters like Rodrygo and Valverde continue to solidify their places in the starting line-up. The whites also continue to struggle with an array of injured players, including Eden Hazard, who has yet to be healthy for a long enough stint for fans to be satisfied.
Since the start of this year’s Champions’ League group stage, Real have struggled to earn points in big numbers. They lost twice to Shakhtar Donetsk and just managed to win the lowest-scoring group of the tournament in their last match, a 2-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach. If they want to improve on last year’s standings, they’ll have to provide a much more solid performance in the knockout stages. Make sure to keep an eye on the season alongside this forex broker, Real Madrid’s official trading partnereasyMarkets, and learn to use the market to your advantage.
Moving Forward: Can They Keep Up?
It’s no secret that Los Blancos will have to strengthen their performance to meet expectations this season. While the season has not begun on a particularly bad foot, it needs a performance boost so the numbers can meet the quality appearing on the pitch. With players such as Ramos, Carvajal, and Hazard coming back from injuries, Zidane is confident his team can burst back into the spotlight. It is imperative for them not only to top the league chart and stay there but almost more importantly to gain back some prominence in Europe by achieving good results in the knockout stage. They will be hoping to use their recent streak of successes to propel them into a strong stride.
