Real Madrid is clinging to LaLiga as its only and complicated option to win a title this season beyond those achieved at the beginning of the season and the Club World Cup. They are currently four points behind Barça and will face a crucial head-to-head match. It is a vital battle in which the Whites, as has been the norm this season, arrive with a depleted defense.
A defense that has been affected by injuries since the start of the season. When the season was still in its infancy, Real Madrid lost right-back Dani Carvajal and center-back Eder Militao. Both players were ruled out for the entire season with long-term injuries. Added to these absences was Alaba, who returned after several relapses and has now broken down again for the rest of the season.
In addition, it has been announced in the last few hours that Ferland Mendy will also miss the rest of the season, as will Camavinga, who has also played in defense this season, and Rüdiger, who has undergone surgery, will not be able to play in LaLiga again. These are just a few examples of a defense that has been accumulating absences week after week, in addition to a more than questionable performance.
The bleeding at the back is constant and almost cost Real Madrid the coveted Cup final in the match against Real Sociedad, in which the Whites conceded four goals. And this is not a temporary slump; it has been a constant for the Whites. The numbers for the season are alarming. Last season, they conceded 50 goals in 55 games, and now they have conceded 69 goals in the 57 games played by the Whites.
This is a high figure considering that in recent seasons, the maximum number of goals conceded in a season by the Whites was 72, a figure reached in the 2016/17 and 2012/13 seasons. With an average of 1.21, this season is the third worst since 2008.
Despite Courtois’ good performance, it is not enough to keep a clean sheet if the defense does not respond. A symptom of Madrid’s defensive weakness is the number of times they have managed to keep a clean sheet. Of the 57 games played to date, they have only managed to keep a clean sheet in 19. Last season, they did so in 25 of 55 games, conceding a total of 50 goals.