3 observations from Real Madrids 2-1 win vs Real Sociedad

A lack of control, bad pressing, less chance creation, etc. Floor raiser, ceiling raiser, and it is especially good to see him start the season this way. If 44 goals weren’t enough, this season, Mbappe is likely to surpass that figure. He already has six goals and two assists this season, and he looks hungry for more. Huijsen needs to consider these situations. In the game against Dortmund, Thibaut Courtois could have done something about that chance.

However, on Saturday, it wasn’t just the red card. It was one of those games that you take a win on and run for your life, but it wasn’t the first time the team looked uncomfortable in the latter stages. Maybe Courtois intervenes against La Real.

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The challenge now is to manage his minutes and keep him healthy. We saw glimpses of the “true Mbappe” last season, but only in short bursts. This is the best version of Mbappe we’ve seen in years.

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• If 44 goals weren’t enough, this season, Mbappe is likely to surpass that figure.
• Sometimes, just like the game against La Real, they have to play with 10 men.
• Dean Huijsen was not the last man, the ball was not in Mikel Oyarzabal’s full control, and the incident happened forty yards away from Real Madrid’s goal.
• What is factual, though, is that this is the second time Huijsen has done this in his short career as a Real Madrid player.
• To return from two ACL tears and nearly two years without consistent football, and then perform like this, is almost unreal.

Alonso hinted as much in his pre-match press conference for the Marsielle game. For one reason or another, Real Madrid have not looked comfortable dealing with teams in the second half. Maybe it is the system that they need to get more and more used to, so that it works for longer. Sometimes, just like the game against La Real, they have to play with 10 men. Real Madrid will likely appeal the decision.

Maybe they concede a goal and everything changes, but at least they would have had 11 men to deal with it if it did. Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler were crucial as Los Blancos battled with a man down against a rampant Real Sociedad crowd to get their fourth win of the season. Here are three very quick observations from the game. To return from two ACL tears and nearly two years without consistent football, and then perform like this, is almost unreal. His speed, aerial dominance, and aggression are tailor-made for Alonso’s counter-pressing system.

You probably have to go back to 2021–22 to find a similar level. There were a few who still thought he was not needed, and that is fair, but this season, 1win login even they might have to forget that notion ever entered their heads. There is something you can consider with regards to his positioning — maybe Huijsen was slow to react to the potential danger this chance had — but Eder Militao was right there. He needs to trust his teammates far more than he is at the moment. Dean Huijsen was not the last man, the ball was not in Mikel Oyarzabal’s full control, and the incident happened forty yards away from Real Madrid’s goal. Those three bits of information should make it clear that the decision was wrong, and what annoys people more is the fact that VAR did not even intervene.

But against stronger opposition, the same choices could easily backfire. Madrid can’t rely on low-block survivalism to win the biggest games. Carvajal was the best right back in the world before his injury, a genuine Ballon d’Or shout. Against Real Sociedad, he looked like that same player. His outside-of-the-boot pass to Mbappe in the first half was a pass even Trent would admire. Beyond technique, his leadership and defensive edge still give him an argument to start certain games.

What is factual, though, is that this is the second time Huijsen has done this in his short career as a Real Madrid player. It was not a red against Borussia Dortmund. It was not a red against Real Sociedad, but the fouls were the same. Alonso will need to work on this so that the team can sustain good spells for longer and good halves into the next one. It is just weird to see, quite literally, everything falling apart within a few minutes.

observations from Real Madrid’s 2-1 win vs Real Sociedad

Maybe he, himself, recovers well in time before Oyarzabal can move close to Real Madrid’s goal. Nothing is a guarantee in these situations. A red card changes that, though, and makes it a guarantee for completely wrong reasons. Instead of inserting a player who could relieve pressure—carry the ball, draw fouls, hold possession—he opted to bunker down.