What Is Going Wrong for Real Madrid?

This defeat was followed by a 0-0 draw away to Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. Truth be told, if anyone was going to win the game, it was going to be the hosts, with Courtois once again saving his side from an even worse scenario.

Nevertheless, there was then an international break. A chance to reset. An opportunity for Alonso and his coaches to figure out what was going wrong. Upon the return, a game against newly promoted Elche.

Nevertheless, there was then an international break. A chance to reset. An opportunity for Alonso and his coaches to figure out what was going wrong. Upon the return, a game against newly promoted Elche.

Yet, once again, the team dropped points - this time with a 2-2 draw. In fairness, this performance was much better, with 3.49xG created and six big chances to their hosts' two. But they still let their hosts go ahead twice, giving them something to hold on to.

In midweek, the team got back to winning ways with a 4-3 win away to Olympiacos. But there were still some red flags in the performance - three goals conceded to a Greek side, and needing Kylian Mbappe to score four goals.

But, well, surely a game against relegation-threatened Girona, who had scored fewer goals than Mbappe on his own this season, would yield a win. And yet, somehow, Alonso's side could only muster a draw, and they were perhaps fortunate even to get that.

So, what is going wrong?

The Balance of the Attack

Although Jude Bellingham is an absolutely brilliant player, and there is no point in suggesting otherwise, some have flagged an issue with the balance. There are times when he and Mbappe occupy the same space and can get in each other's way.

The Englishman was absent for the winning run at the beginning of the season. His first start came in the 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid. Now, it would be unfair to blame this solely on him, but it is something to think about.

Between the October and November international breaks, the 22-year-old was back to his best, encapsulated best with his goal and assist in the win over Barcelona, which now looks more important than ever.

That game and the 4-0 win over Valencia show that both players can be in top form at the same time. However, more often than not, only one of them, at most, appears to be in top form at a time. Against Elche, it was Bellingham; against Olympiacos, it was Mbappe. Last night - it was neither.

There is also no doubt that the Frenchman is an elite player. But there are concerning trends. We saw just how good both Bellingham and Vinicius were in the 23/24 season. Although neither have been poor since then, they definitely haven't hit the same heights as they did that campaign, coincidentally or otherwise.

Although you are guaranteed goals from Mbappe, there is a legitimate question about how good or bad he makes other players. You get the idea that the better he gets, the worse other players may get. You always prefer players who can make the players around them better, too.

Despite how many goals he scores, there will always be questions about whether he is an out-and-out striker. There are many instances this season where he has not been where you would expect a striker to be. Just last night, Bellingham clipped an excellent ball into the box, but Mbappe was not there.

With Rodyrgo in the 23/24 season, Carlo Ancelotti had the perfect player to complement Vinicius and Bellingham. A selfless, hardworking player who would do so much work that went unnoticed, and allowed more balance both on and off the ball.

With Rodyrgo in the 23/24 season, Carlo Ancelotti had the perfect player to complement Vinicius and Bellingham. A selfless, hardworking player who would do so much work that went unnoticed, and allowed more balance both on and off the ball.

So, the key is for Alonso to find a system that allows all three - or at least two - of Vinicius, Bellingham, and Mbappe to all be on top of their game more often than not. Finding the right setup for that will be difficult, particularly with the likes of Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono trying to develop into starting players.

In-Game Management

Despite building a strong reputation for his in-game tweaks whilst manager of Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso's in-game management has been poor this season. Once the game gets away from Real Madrid, he struggles to wrestle it back.

Some of his subs are really strange. Last night, he brought on Gonzalo Garcia - his biggest aerial threat - in stoppage time. Not only was that far too late, but he brought him on for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is by far the team's best crosser of a ball.

Bringing Rodrygo on for Aurelien Tchouaméni felt like an attacking sub for the sake of it. There was a lack of control after that. It's all good having attackers on the pitch, but you need the players who are going to get the ball to them. Once again, a clear imbalance in the side.

Which is weird, because Alonso had made the slightly more cautious sub of bringing Eduardo Camavinga for Arda Guler at half-time, which had worked, yet he seemed to throw that straight back in the bin.

A Bad Cultural Fit

Even though Alonso spent five years of his career at Real Madrid, he doesn't seem like the best fit. His predecessor, Ancelotti, was known for his more laid-back style. Allowing players the freedom to do their thing and win games with their own individual qualities. The aforementioned trio in 23/24 is the best example of this.

Which is just not the case here. The 44-year-old is someone with a very hands-on approach. Someone who had a project, and a very successful one at Leverkusen. A process. Something that doesn't get afforded at Real Madrid.

You get the idea that, although Alonso clearly wants to win, he wants to do it in a certain style. He feels more Barcelona-coded than Real Madrid, despite his playing career. Perhaps part of that stems from his career with the Spanish national team, which certainly played with a specific style, featuring several Barcelona players.

It is clear that the players will not be able to get away with what they could under Ancelotti, both on and off the pitch. Ultimately, it is a philosophy that could well work given time - but will Alonso get that time? Is the million-dollar question.