Real Madrid is proudly heralded as the biggest club in the world by many world-class players. In the same vein, Madridistas are very conscious of the reputation of the club, and a loss at any level is deemed unacceptable for Los Blancos.
The recent matches have seen Zinedine Zidane’s side coping with a dip in form, with shocking home defeats to Cadiz (0-1) and now, Shakhtar Donetsk (2-3) in back-to-back fixtures.
Madrid were without Dani Carvajal at right-back and were also without captain Sergio Ramos. The centre-back endured a knee injury in the loss against Cadiz and was ruled out of the Champions League match.
On the other hand, Shakhtar were without 13 players due to positive COVID-19 tests and still managed to get the better of the hosts.
From a tactical perspective, Shakhtar absolutely slaughtered Real Madrid on the counter-attack. The hosts tended to lose the ball high up the pitch, and the Ukrainian club was clinical in transition, looking to score from every chance they got.
Eder Militao and Raphael Varane had a difficult night, as the Shakhtar forwards looked to get the better of them on almost every transition.
While Zinedine Zidane has claimed responsibility for the loss in his post-match press conference, the pressure is slowly building on the French manager.
Considering the ruthless nature of the Real Madrid fans, a loss in El Clasico could be followed by calls for the sacking of Zidane.
From a neutral point of view, a dip in form is natural for any team in the world and Madrid are no exception. Relieving Zidane of his duties as a manager in the middle of the season can only make things get worse for the club, and it is important that the coach that once led them to a hat-trick of Champions League titles be treated with more respect and be given time to work on the performances of the squad.
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