The Real Madrid Paradox

At 7 PM on May 4th (Vietnam time), Real Madrid will host Celta Vigo at home in the 34th round of La Liga. This marks the beginning of a five-match run to salvage their disastrous season.

Real Madrid still has a powerful attacking line-up - Photo: REUTERS

Exactly one week after this match, Real Madrid will face Barca in the second leg of the La Liga "El Clásico". Prior to round 34, Real Madrid were 4 points behind Barca.

In theory, this gap could be reduced to just one point if Real Madrid beat their rivals in the direct match next week. However, for that to become a reality, they need to beat Celta Vigo first. Otherwise, even the chance to salvage the season will be gone for Mbappe and his teammates.

Celta Vigo are by no means an easy opponent. And this is perhaps the most opportune time for them to dream of defeating Real Madrid. This is because the Spanish royal club is facing a long list of absences, including the entire defense with Carvajal, Mendy, Militao, Alaba, and Rudiger all injured (Rudiger is also serving a long-term suspension). Up front, they are also without Camavinga and Ceballos.

All of the aforementioned players are likely to be sidelined for the rest of the season. Even if Real Madrid is the most powerful team in the world , and Ancelotti remains the most skilled strategist in controlling the situation, a team so severely unbalanced will still struggle to achieve anything significant.

Ironically for Real Madrid, their attack, which is showing signs of an "overabundance," hasn't lost anyone, while their already thin defense is further hampered by numerous makeshift solutions.

Indeed, Real Madrid have Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler, and Endrick – a total of seven players for a three-man attack. That's not including the versatile Valverde and Vazquez, who can also play as wingers. However, their defense is severely depleted after Nacho left without a replacement last summer. Meanwhile, Alaba remains sidelined by injury.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez seems to have accepted the understandable cycle of rise and fall in football. Real Madrid's overhaul is being implemented slowly, as they've made two blockbuster signings for their attacking line.

And then they watched indifferently as Kroos and Nacho – key players in the defense – left the team. A busy summer awaits the Real Madrid management this summer as they continue their campaign to hunt for superstars.

Calmness and composure are the hallmarks of champions. But sometimes, this slowness can cost them dearly, especially when Barca are cruising towards a treble.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nghich-ly-real-madrid-20250504101738597.htm