Copyright Yardbarker
Real Madrid were desperately disappointing against Liverpool on Tuesday, as they fell to their second defeat of the season. It was only 1-0, but the manner of the performance has caused concerns, especially in regard to the star-studded forward line. Kylian Mbappe failed to register a shot on target at Anfield (three total shots), while Vinicius Junior did not have a shot at all – this is despite both players playing the full 90 minutes. This is not what Real Madrid and their supporters want to see, as was communicated by ex-player Gareth Bale on CBS Sports Golazo (via MD). “We didn’t see Mbappe or Vinicius in that last third doing magic and getting back into the game. It was a bit disappointing that in that final third you didn’t really see the quality you expect from Real Madrid’s players.” Bale: Real Madrid crying out for target man profile Bale admits that he wanted to see Real Madrid see more direct against Liverpool, although he recognised that Xabi Alonso may not have that ideal “Joselu-style” striker that would have been ideal. “It’s frustrating. Perhaps it just complicates things. Sometimes you just have to get the ball forward and test the defence. They were clearly faster than any player on the field, so, well… Only they can answer those questions. Maybe they don’t because there’s no one else in the area waiting for the crosses. Maybe that reference ‘9’ is needed, and that complicates it a bit.” Interestingly, it’s widely believed that Gonzalo Garcia, who was on the bench at Anfield, is seen as being in a similar mould to Joselu, but despite this, it was decided that he would not be brought on against Liverpool. That is a decision that Alonso may regret now, or it could be that a target man is sought when the transfer window opens – especially considering that Endrick Felipe is expected to leave on loan.
