Another scare at the end for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon, after a brace from Kylian Mbappe and a goal from Arda Guler was almost cancelled out by a late Celta resurgence.
Here are three observations from the win:
Real Madrid miss a controller profile, among other things
It is more of a coaching and mental error than anything, but in games like this, Real Madrid miss Toni Kroos, or at least a controller profile in the team. A 40-year-old Luka Modric can only do so much.
Real Madrid having four midfielders could also rectify this situation, and not having a profile plays its part — I mean, Real Madrid just did not keep the ball for long enough to diminish any hopes for a Celta comeback. Two late goals did happen, and Real Madrid missed a coach on the pitch to guide the team to victory. Kroos, if he were on the pitch, would know exactly what to do — he would be found by every Real Madrid player, and the German would gladly return the favor and keep the ball for as long as it is needed.
But sometimes, the team just switches off. Even with a controller, that can happen. Real Madrid were in control for the majority of the game.
It was not even about not being able to score a fourth or a fifth, it was Real Madrid’s inability to prevent Celta from scoring a first or a second, especially when there was seemingly little threat at one point.
Celta kept knocking on the door once they realised it, and eventually, Los Blancos opened it like the good Samaritans they are. These two goals were avoidable. 100% avoidable.
Real Madrid have not won by more than one goal since February 23, when they beat Girona 2-0. They need to be a lot better than this.
Arda Guler provides something that Real Madrid need every week
Real Madrid need to start Guler for as many games as possible. It is as simple as that. Not many people provide what Guler does to this team, and having a player like him — who is improving in every single game across multiple facets of the sport — should be in the team.
Real Madrid bought him from Fenerbahce for a reason, didn’t they? It was because he had something in his game that the others didn’t. A wand of a left foot, creative clinic for days, great eye for spotting runs, good passes, and just a workforce that could influence the game even on a bad day.
It was brilliant to see him play well against Girona in a role that Real Madrid had seemed to lose after Kroos’ departure. We saw something similar against Barcelona when he came on, and he was brilliant on the set-pieces as well. Now, against Celta, Guler had a goal and an assist to his name, but that hardly tells the full story.
Guler played 83 minutes, and registered the following: One goal, one assist, 77 touches, 62 passes with a 100% success rate (the first player to complete 60 passes or more with 100% accuracy since Toni Kroos), three key passes, three long balls, one dribble and a tackle.
He played in a deep area of the pitch, but kept moving towards the right side and combined a lot with Mbappe — who finished the Turk’s Ozil-esque pass with Cristiano Ronaldo’s accuracy — and it was really fun to see these two link up.
Real Madrid need more from Dani Ceballos
Not a huge deal, but Ceballos has not looked brilliant since his return from injury. It will obviously take a couple of weeks for him to be fully locked in and match fit, but Real Madrid need more from him.
The problem was not in possession; he was good. His passing was almost perfect — Ceballos completed 65 of his 66 passes, and did not look out of place at all in that sense.
However, Los Blancos needed more when he did not have the ball. His defending on a lot of the sequences, the grit he usually has, was not to be seen against Celta. The same grit made him a fan favorite earlier this season has not returned with him after his injury. He was weak in transition, letting multiple bodies past him with relative ease.
Ceballos only had one tackle and participated in just three ground duels. Without Tchouameni in midfield, Real Madrid would like their midfielders to have a bigger role to limit transition opportunities. At one point, Celta players just walked from point A to point B without facing much heckling from Ceballos.
It’s not a huge deal, and he will improve, but it is something to keep an eye on — especially before the Clasico next week.
