Real Madrid Crowned La Liga Champs as Veteran Players Lead Club
It’s hard to believe that Real Madrid will finish the season at the very top of Spanish football. Big signings set to fill voids left by former stars were left unfilled and an aging squad raised questions of competitiveness. Regardless of such controversy, Real Madrid has been crowned La Liga champs for the 34th time. There’s plenty to take from such a roller coaster of a season and how a grandstand ending for Los Blancos could pay handsomely in the future.
No Hazard & Bale No Problem
If you told me that Real would win the league with Hazard only scoring a single goal all season I would’ve laughed in your face but that’s exactly what they did. And then if you went on to say that Gareth Bale would only score two goals in league play I would’ve walked out.
Real Madrid was propped up this season by two things. Veteran players and Barcelona being awful. Players like Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema led Real to glory this season. And I mean no disrespect to Lionel Messi because he’s been spectacular this season but the team around him has been unable to support their star man.
A Carry Job From Ramos, Courtois, and Benzema
For me, on this season alone, Sergio Ramos is a Ballon D’or candidate. Ramos became the highest-scoring defender in La Liga history this season as he’s bagged ten goals (some of them being clutch goals I may add). On top of that, Benzema has a team-high 21 league goals which have propelled Real into yet another trophy.
The Independent
The duo of Madrid stars has kept the club afloat since the departure of star man Cristiano Ronaldo. Last year, the club finished in second, 13 points behind league rivals Barcelona, and they crashed out of the Champions League in the round of 16 after being thrashed by a red-hot Ajax squad.
Madrid seemed to have a problem on their hands. Benzema went an entire month as Madrid’s only goal scorer and the defense along with Thibaut Courtois were unable to keep the ball out of the net. Despite his attacking prowess, Marcelo was struggling to defend and it seemed like what could go wrong for Madrid… went wrong for Madrid.
From the Bottom
Last summer it was obvious that Madrid needed to land some big singings and they did. Eden Hazard finally came over from Chelsea and Luka Jovic was signed from Eintracht Frankfurt. To bolster the defense Eder Miltao was brought in as well as Ferland Mendy. James Rodriguez was back from his loan spell in Munich but it wasn’t the return of loanees or signings that improved Madrid.
James only made eight appearances in La Liga this season, Miltao struggled to get into the lineup as he only made 14 league appearances, Jovic scored two league goals on 16 appearances but Ferland Mendy was a bright-spot as he made 24 league appearances as he seemed to make the left-back spot his own as Marcelo struggled to stay fit and consistent.
I’ll admit that I didn’t watch Real Madrid much this season but the fact that they were able to stay competitive with so many of their star players underperforming is a testament to the manager, Zinedine Zidane, players like Ramos and Benzema and the revitalization of Courtois as he once again asserted himself as one of the worlds best goal-keepers with a league-best 18 clean-sheets.
That Being Said
Despite this season being a success. Players like Ramos and Benzema need help. Injuries derailed Hazard’s debut season at the Bernabeu but next season must be different for player and club. At 29 years old Hazard is in the prime of his career and it’s now or never if he wishes to make a name for himself at one of the biggest clubs on the planet. I’m confident that he’ll use this year as motivation for next season and perhaps a late minute push to help overcome a Champions League deficit could help set him up for success in next year’s campaign.
As for Jovic, he has a lot to prove and next season will be massive for him. Hopefully, he can learn from Benzema and become Madrid’s new number nine but with Benzema’s drop in form nowhere in sight, Jovic might’ve wished he picked a different club to take his talent.
Barca Stinks and That’s Just a Fact
Madrid dodged a bullet which is what Barcelona was unable to do. Messi has delivered all season and his partnership with Luis Suarez is still strong, but outside of those two, Barcelona has had to rely on a struggling Antoine Greizmann and a teenager, Ansu Fati. Barca’s midfield outside of Sergio Busquets and Frenkie De Jong doesn’t come close to scratching world-class and the club’s full-backs outside of Jordi Alba just aren’t cutting it.
The club has succumbed to a multitude of embarrassing losses and this squad doesn’t seem like it could come close to competing for a Champions League title as they couldn’t even get the better of a what seemed like a weaker Real Madrid team.
Unlike Bayern
Unlike Bayern, Madrid is still a few years away from a major rebuild. Players like Ramos and Modric are still chugging along but both stars are 34 and Benzema is 32. When they depart, Madrid must get their business right. As Barca will most likely avoid a rebuild until Messi’s career starts to deteriorate due to age, Madrid could very well have a leg up in regards to the rebuilding process.
Zidane’s sheer persona will attract stars to Madrid but the fact that he’s averaged a trophy per 19 games, will most definitely help the club attract world-class talent as well.
Pogba and Mbappe? Madrid May Need to Look Elsewhere
For what seemed like a year straight I was convinced this duo would be Madrid players going into the 2021 season but now I’m not so sure. In Manchester, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has United playing incredible football and Pogba is an integral piece now that he’s healthy. Something special is happening at United and it could possibly result in Pogba staying put although this is merely speculation.
On the other hand, a resurgent Neymar in Paris could see a partnership between the Brazilian star and Mbappe being born. Paris St-Germain has a real chance of hoisting the club’s first-ever Champions League trophy this year. For me, PSG is a better club than Real Madrid at the moment but that being said, PSG is no Real.
For both French stars decisions will have to be made. I still think there is a real possibility both will join Madrid but there’s an even bigger chance both will stay at their respective clubs. At that point, Madrid will need to look elsewhere.
Is Elsewhere Within the Club?
What about a world-class winger? Can Zidane rely on Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo? Can Lucas Vasquez and Marcos Asensio assist Hazard as Real Madrid’s more experienced wingers? Can Gareth Bale actually contribute to the squad in any shape or form? These questions will be left unanswered until next season and it sure will be interesting to see Real’s attack next year.
For Now
For now, Madrid is facing an uphill battle. A 2-1 deficit will accompany the club as they travel to Manchester to take on Pep’s City. The club will be without Sergio Ramos, who has helped lead the club in dramatic fashion this season. Without him, all eyes will be on Karim Benzema as the responsibility will fall squarely on his shoulders. Even so, Ramos should be hailed as one of this season’s most impressive campaigns in football and an eager Eden Hazard paired with a much improve Courtois, could see Real Madrid make a daring Champions League run.
Make no mistake, despite struggles this season, Madrid has prospered and this is only the beginning of an era that will be a massive one for the club.
