After an Abysmal Draw to Elche, Are Real Madrid’s Title Aspirations Valid?
January 25, 2022
After an underwhelming performance against Elche on Sunday, Real Madrid squandered a chance to extend their lead atop of the La Liga table.
Sevilla, who trail Real Madrid by just four points, were also held to a draw at home against Celta Vigo (ESPN.com). A win would have gifted Sevilla two more points, cutting Real Madrid’s lead to just two points on the La Liga table (ESPN.com).
Both teams were able to salvage a point, but hope was given to many other squads that were believed to be out of the race to top the standings.
As for Real Madrid, Karim Benzema’s uncharacteristic penalty miss and the conceding of multiple goals to a team near the bottom of La Liga, make fans wonder whether or not the aspirations of the club are possible. Luckily for Los Blancos, a Luka Modric penalty was converted and Éder Militao headed home a stoppage time equalizer. Both of those finishes occurred in a span of ten minutes (ESPN.com), making it seem as if Madrid do have the ability to confidently win the La Liga title.
With all things considered, believing that one draw to a weaker club will diminish another club’s title desires is absurd, although it is fair to say that there are some weaknesses within the club. However, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has been arguably the best player in all of La Liga this season. Junior sent in the ball that Militao put past the Elche keeper to level the scoreline. As a result of Junior’s success, I believe that Los Blancos will win the La Liga crown, even with some potential weak points in the back line of defense. However, if Real Madrid are not careful, the cherished La Liga title could end up in the hands of another club.