The most surprising result in the series of matches in the top European professional tournaments last weekend was Real Madrid's loss to La Liga's rookie team - Girona with a score of 1-2 away.
In last night's match, Real opened the scoring first.
Real Madrid's failure came from many reasons, one of which was the poor form of star Cristiano Ronalo. CR7 was still very active in finishing but the goal was still a nightmare for him.
When the final whistle blew, the NHM was shocked to realise that in the current season, CR7's conversion rate of chances into goals was only 2.5%, the lowest among all strikers playing in the top continental professional championships.
Not only Ronaldo, Real's attack is also helpless against the defense of rookie Girona. The proof is that the player paired with Ronaldo - Benzema could not once put the ball into the opponent's net. In a day of decline in form, even top-class strikers like Asensio who were substituted in the second half could not do anything more.
With such an attack, Real's defense is also in a serious crisis. Real have conceded 9 goals in 10 games while the leader Barca has only 3. The second-placed team, Valencia, conceded 11 goals but they have scored 27 goals, Real's number is 19, much lower.
Explaining Real's embarrassing defeat, the in-depth personnel factor was given first. Real in the last 2 consecutive Champions League titles always have 2 teams that can take turns at any time to ensure the quality of their fighting on all fronts. But Zidane could not have foreseen Ronaldo's unpredictable decline in form, plus a persistent injury leading to unpredictable consequences. Benzema alone is not enough to take responsibility.
While Real are lacking, Barca are still taking steady steps forward on the path to the championship this season. Coach Valverde's team has played 10 matches, won 9 and drawn 1. The concern about a "no striker" Valverde at the beginning of the season has passed when the 53-year-old coach led Barca to overcome all obstacles very well.
Barca made history in La Liga as the team with the best start in the first 10 rounds with 28 points and a goal difference of +25. History also shows that Real have never won La Liga, 8 points behind Barca. If they continue to play like this, there is no reason to believe that Real will break that milestone in La Liga. Further, in the Champions League, Zidane's team will find it difficult to touch the silver cup once again.
