Are Real Madrid Performing Better without Cristiano Ronaldo?
Gameweek 3 of La Liga ended with FC Barcelona standing atop the table and their arch-rivals Real Madrid just below them, only behind on goal difference. I think it is safe to say that the two mighty Spanish squads have settled well in the season and have been delivering scintillating performances so far this season.
Barcelona totally overwhelmed their opponents Huesca, defeating the newly promoted side by 8 goals to 2 in a home match. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both scored a brace while Ousmane Dembele, Ivan Rakitic and Jordi Alba each scored one goal.
Real Madrid's game looked impressive and entertaining to watch as they glided past their opponents Leganes with an easy 4-1 win at home. Karim Benzema is really looking like a man on a mission this season as he scored two goals to take his season tally to four goals. Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos also chipped in with a goal each.
I am sure that many Madrid fans had their head in hands when they heard their ace, Cristiano Ronaldo, has joined Juventus this summer. Their nightmares seemed to come true when Los Blancos faced an embarrassing 4-2 defeat by their city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.
Julen Lopetegui's men didn't let the defeat to their head and have replied to all the criticism by winning opening 3 games with some comfort.
We can assume that after their starman's departure Lopetegui would try to focus most of his attacks around the quick Welshman Gareth Bale. Bale has outrageous speed and decent ball control plus his ability to fire long-distance shots makes him a threat to most opposition.
Secondly, there is no doubt the midfield trio of Modric, Kroos and Isco will have a huge responsibility on their shoulders to create perfect plays for the forwards.
So far the current strategies of Julen Lopetegui are working in favour of Real as the attacking duo of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have already scored combined seven goals in three appearances.
On the other hand, the former Madrid man, Cristiano Ronaldo, has been struggling to settle down in his new team and looks totally unlike his normal self. Though Juventus are sitting at the top of the pile, Cristiano failed to score until now.
Before the start of the new season, many experts believed that it would be Messi who will be struggling to score after the departure of Andres Iniesta but he seems unaffected by his absence. Messi has already managed to score 4 goals in 3 fixtures. It is Ronaldo who is affected by not having classy midfielders like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco to support him on the offensive side.
One thing is certain if Real Madrid can keep up the form that they have showcased till now until the end of the season they won't have many difficulties without Cristiano Ronaldo.
Though with the loss of Ronaldo, this year might be the beginning of the end of Real Madrid's dominance in the European competitions.
Another problem Real might face is that they don't have a star forward who can carry the entire team on his shoulders for the long-term as Ronaldo did for almost a decade. Marco Asensio might be a potential star in the making for the Spanish giants but can he fill the void left by the Portuguese?
Let us know your view about the current state of Real Madrid in comments.