LaLiga

Real Madrid are starting to realize that their complacency in addressing the defense on the transfer market has come back to bite them badly, as they are fresh off surrendering a combined seven goals to Barcelona and AC Milan in their two biggest matchups of the season thus far. It's been a poor start to the campaign for Carlo Ancelotti and his squad, as they are clearly second best to Barcelona in La Liga and have already lost two Champions League matches against beatable opponents. Fixing the defense rests partially on Ancelotti to come up with better tactical solutions than "Eder Militao go brrrrr", but it also lies in the responsibility the Real Madrid board has to finally supply their legendary manager with the defensive reinforcements on the transfer market that he's been askin...

Real Madrid have grabbed the attention of the entire footballing world over the past two weeks, but whereas, before the season, you may have thought it would have been for record-breaking performances from an attack that is, on paper, absolutely loaded, it's been the complete opposite. Los Blancos are unraveling, following up a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Barcelona with an arguably even more humiliating defeat, 3-1 to AC Milan in the Champions League. Getting smacked in El Clasico is bad enough, but 1) Real had been there before and bounced back and 2) at least Real were creating chances in the first half against Barca. Real Madrid spend the whole week gameplanning and strategizing about fixing a broken defense, only to get ripped to shreds by Milan with more mind-bogglingly simp...

Ever since David Alaba became the second Real Madrid center back to suffer a torn ACL, Madridistas were clamoring for the club to sign another central defender last winter, with Carlo Ancelotti even at the forefront of the effort to sign a new defender. Since Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League and La Liga in 2023/24 without another center back, president Florentino Perez may have felt vindicated by his latest decision to stand pat in the transfer market when everyone else told him to go for more. But with Alaba still injured and now top prospect Joan Martinez joining him, Real Madrid remain thin at center back, and as the defense collapses after giving up a combined seven goals against Barcelona and AC Milan, the cries for another defender are becoming loader. Real Ma...

Real Madrid are in desperate need of a top left back, and they've been searching for a star player at the position ever since Marcelo starting obviously declining during the 2018/19 season. Replacing a legend like Marcelo, one of the best left backs in history, is no easy feat, and the Merengues clearly don't have the solution between either Ferland Mendy or Fran Garcia. Mendy has been favored by Carlo Ancelotti despite showing obvious technical and tactical failures over the past few seasons, while Garcia has never really settled in Madrid since re-joining the club after emerging as a top La Liga back for Rayo Vallecano. And before Fran, Real Madrid had a very intriguing and gifted left back in Miguel Gutierrez, but Carlo decided to send him off to Girona after stuffing him on th...

Trusting the youth hasn't always been Real Madrid's strong suit, especially with Carlo Ancelotti as manager. In his first year of his second stint, Carlo gave up on Miguel Gutierrez, who is now a Real Madrid transfer target due to his strong performances at Girona, and it took him ages to trust Eduardo Camavinga, who eventually proved pivotal in winning the Champions League. But Carletto has hit a new low in his treatment of young players. If Zinedine Zidane was criticized for his hesitancy to integrate Martin Odegaard, who is now one of the Premier League's best at Arsenal, then imagine what will be said about Ancelotti if he drives two even more talented youngsters away in Endrick and Arda Guler. When it comes to academy players, Carlo's track record is literally a zero, with Migue...

Real Madrid were able to overcome ACL tears to Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, and David Alaba last season to win La Liga and the Champions League, so if anyone can overcome another rash of serious injuries in 2024/25, then it is the Merengue club. But with Barcelona firing on all cylinders after the Hansi Flick appointment, Real Madrid are up against it this season, as exemplified by their 4-0 blowout loss at home to the Blaugrana in El Clasico. Real Madrid did not have Courtois or Rodrygo Goes available due to injury, and while both will be back soon, one star player who didn't play won't be back any time soon. Dani Carvajal played so well in the 2023/24 season as a right back that he was a legitimate Ballon d'Or candidate by the end of the campaign, even before his Spanish nati...