He has only lost once, but Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez is already under fire ahead of El Clasico.
He has only lost once, but Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez is already under fire ahead of El Clasico. Barcelona’s first defeat of the season came on August 14 — an emphatic 4-0 Super Cup thrashing at the hands of Athletic Bilbao. Bayern Munich didn’t even last that long. They were beaten in the German Super Cup on penalties by Wolfsburg on the first day of August. Chelsea lost the Community Shield to Arsenal the next day — the first of nine defeats so far this season for the English champions.
But for all Jose Mourinho’s struggles, it’s curious that his old rival Rafa Benitez isn’t immune to similar pressures himself. Benitez’s Real Madrid were the last team in any major European league to lose their unbeaten record in all competitions when they were beaten 3-2 away to Sevilla earlier this month. Hardly a major upset against a side that recently went 35 games unbeaten on home soil. Nevertheless, the pressure on Benitez is real. “You saw it coming” was the headline on Marca the day after the defeat.
“Results have been covering the deficiencies” they cried, before concluding that “something is wrong” at Real. It’s extraordinary given that Real scored 17 times this season before conceding their first goal under Benitez, but some of the underlying numbers do suggest the concerns are not without substance. When it comes to shots faced, while Barcelona and Atletico Madrid take up their customary position among the top three, Real rank among the bottom half of La Liga. Benitez’s men have allowed more than 12 shots per game against them, even more than Granada who are only one place off the bottom of the table. It supports the view that Real have been riding their luck and relying on Keylor Navas. The Costa Rican goalkeeper has been something of a revelation this season. Navas saved penalties against Real Betis and Atletico Madrid, as well as producing a series of fine saves in the victories over Levante and Celta Vigo.
His performances have helped Real pick up points even while things have not been functioning properly at the other end of the pitch.
