AS: Real Madrid Show Big Home-Away Difference, Defensive Individual Errors Frequent

According to a commentary published by AS, Real Madrid have shown a major difference between their home and away performances, with frequent individual errors in defense in this match.

This match showed that the team still has many areas that need refinement. The excellent form displayed at the Santiago Bernabéu is far from what has been seen away from home.

The Real Madrid at the Bernabéu and the Real Madrid away from home look like two completely different teams. They can be like a hurricane or a tropical storm, with a fierce attack but a defense that can suddenly cause concern. Real Madrid possess tremendous attacking power, but their back line often suffers lapses. This issue is not only about the defenders; it is the responsibility of the entire team. It resembles a predator with saber-tooth fangs that suddenly leaves gaps during a fierce battle. Perhaps it comes from excessive confidence. This Real Madrid currently has two faces, and that also matches its current stage: a team still taking shape, a machine that is intimidating but still needs more tightening of its screws, and not yet perfect.

In reality, the most noticeable aspect in the opening rounds of the season has been the difference between home and away matches. A drop in level away from home is not unusual in football and is understandable. However, Mourinho's team has given a noticeably different impression on the road. Against Real Sociedad and Malaga, Real Madrid scored four goals in each match, taking comfortable wins and significantly boosting morale. The issue is not only about goals. Another set of data shows that Real Madrid averaged 10 shots on target at the Bernabéu and conceded only two goals. But once they played away, the situation was completely different. In the league opener at the RCDE Stadium, Real Madrid even found the match difficult. Although they had the upper hand, that advantage did not translate into the same result. The team did appear stronger than Espanyol, but the victory did not come easily.

Real Madrid's shots on target dropped by one third to just seven, and their goal tally was also six fewer, with their attacking threat cooled. In the hot conditions at La Cartuja, Real Madrid failed to score, which was very unusual: in their previous 24 matches, they had only been held scoreless once, in the Clásico on May 10. Away from home, opponents' shots against Real Madrid also doubled, reaching an average of four per match. These two faces are also reflected in defensive lapses. These were indeed blackout-like mistakes: errors that could have been avoided but still occurred, making the damage much greater. The goal conceded against Espanyol came from Valverde and the defense losing track while marking Calatrava, with Valverde carrying greater responsibility. The goal conceded against Real Sociedad came after Koundé and Carreras repeatedly lacked physical resistance and failed to stop the counterattack.

Last night at La Cartuja, Valverde lost his man in the second-ball contest after a corner clearance. This was not a tactical imbalance or a structural problem with the team; it was more like an individual error. In matches with a large lead, such problems are often less noticeable, but when the score is tight they become especially glaring and painful. Considering the upcoming matches where mistakes cannot be afforded, these errors deserve more attention because a single mistake could lead to a direct defeat. The team still has screws to tighten, and this machine still has short circuits in its wiring. Real Madrid already know what it feels like to be knocked down. In fact, Mourinho joked during preseason that the team had three states: “awake, tired and extremely tired.” As time passed, he had eliminated the last state. Ultimately, this is normal; after preseason preparation ends, physical reserves should begin to take effect. However, Real Madrid's “tired” side can still be seen, especially in certain players. Bellingham is one of them. He returned late because he was involved with the England national team, which was almost an unavoidable consequence.

After the 70th minute, his energy tank began to run low. Without his progression, the team's rhythm also naturally drops. These details are not enough to sound the alarm, and they do not even qualify as a yellow-card warning, but they do show that this team is still far from its peak and needs further refinement. Real Madrid are extremely dangerous in attack and have an impressive ability to create chances, but their defensive lapses remain concerning. This is their two-faced nature. The Bernabéu saw four claw-like strikes, while away matches saw only two goals. Last night, Real Madrid failed to score at all. This is a frightening machine, but it is not yet perfect; the screws still need to be tightened.