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<\/a><\/p>\nFornals\u2019 retreat was slightly late, which allowed Real Madrid to capitalize on the overload generated around the box.<\/p>\n
A one-two combination between Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and G\u00fcler set up the Turkish attacking midfielder behind Real Betis\u2019 backline. Arda G\u00fcler guided the ball across toward the far post zone, which Vinicius Junior attacked and hit the post.<\/p>\n Real Madrid was able to find inroads through Manuel Pellegrini\u2019s team. Eduardo Camavinga or Fede Valverde comfortably picked up the ball around Betis\u2019 front line. In this sequence, Mbapp\u00e9, operating in the left half-space, drives Facundo Bernal to shift across and cut off the passing lane between the French compatriots. Marc Roca tends to block off the diagonal access between Camavinga and Guler. As a consequence, Bellingham can collect the ball uncontested in the gap between the double pivots.<\/p>\n Bellingham turns and sets Mbapp\u00e9 around Diego Llorente. The French cuts across Real Betis\u2019 backline, whereas Denzel Dumfries arrives late in the box. Mbapp\u00e9 opts to shoot into traffic rather than setting the Dutch right-back around the six-yard box.<\/p>\n As aforementioned, Real Madrid was multifaceted in creating chances. The ingredients to score from a counterattack were present. As an opposition team, defending against a team that contains good passers in Huijsen and G\u00fcler and pacey players in Vinicius Junior and Mbapp\u00e9 in open spaces and coached by Jose Mourinho, is not a situation to experience.<\/p>\n Close to the end of the first half, Real Betis intended to exploit the high positions of Real Madrid\u2019s front four from a quick restart. However, it was that close to bite Pellegrini\u2019s team back. Huijsen, Cucurella, and Camavinga delayed and limited the danger of Cucho Hernandez and Antony around the box. Camavinga\u2019s position ahead of Huijsen enabled him to intercept the reverse pass, whereas the Spanish midfielder immediately picked out Arda Guler to initiate the counter.<\/p>\n From a pass from a first touch, Arda Guler broke down Betis\u2019 counter-press. Meanwhile, Mbapp\u00e9 and Vinicius Junior, operating high and spreading across the pitch, stretched the distance between the center-backs for Bellingham to slide that pass to Vinicius Junior in behind. The latter squares the ball to Mbapp\u00e9, who failed to finish on the first attempt and on the rebound.<\/p>\n Three minutes in, Real Madrid was close to scoring from an out-swinging corner.<\/p>\n Real Betis deployed four zonal players across the six-yard box. Hector Bellerin and Marc Roca covered the front and back posts, respectively. Hernandez and Bartra slotted between Camavinga and the goalkeeper. Bernal operated at the edge of the box, whereas Natan, Fran Garcia, and Fornals marked Dumfries, Huijsen, and Bellingham. Isco screened Mbapp\u00e9, while Antony remained close to Vinicius Junior in case Real Madrid played a short corner. As G\u00fcler was on his way to deliver, Camavinga held his marker to allow the ball to fly toward the edge of the six-yard box. In the meantime, Huijsen, Bellingham, and Konat\u00e9 moved to different positions and ended up queuing at different heights diagonally at the edge of the six-yard box. The telos was to enable the trio to frame the cross from different zones and at different times as the ball traveled. As a result, Bellingham was able to tower over and head the ball to the left of the net. However, the goalkeeper saved the Englishman\u2019s effort.<\/p>\n Real Madrid didn\u2019t have a problem finding routes to Real Betis\u2019 penalty box or creating clear-cut chances. However, it was more about the last action and decision the players made. Real Madrid generated 2.68 Non-penalty xG and 7 big chances, but the team missed them all.<\/p>\n It is worth noting that Real Madrid created 6 big chances in the first half and only one in the second. Additionally, the team tallied 1.8 xG from open play in the first part of the game, whereas it fell to 0.23 xG in the second part. The same happened for shots, as Mourinho\u2019s team\u2019s shots went from 15 to 5.<\/p>\n Los Blancos appeared to be lacking the tools against Real Betis\u2019 medium block. There weren\u2019t enough runs in behind, deeper and counter-movements to pull apart Betis\u2019 defensive unit. The likes of Mbapp\u00e9 and Vinicius Junior wanted the ball at their feet, while the right side was neglected before Arnold and Diomand\u00e9 came on, which made the defenders\u2019 job easier.<\/p>\n Multiple reasons played a role in the performance drop in the second half. First, the physical level still hasn\u2019t reached the end product yet. Secondly, Jos\u00e9 Mourinho\u2019s approach isn\u2019t built around pinning back opponents and exerting territorial dominance, as Real Madrid allows the opposition team to have possession of the ball through different stretches by retreating into a medium or low block. Not only that, but Real Madrid still hasn\u2019t developed a good out-of-possession strategy to reduce the opponents\u2019 danger during passive periods in the game.<\/p>\n This scene is a prime example where Vinicius Junior stepped up on Bellerin, while Camavinga remained in his place and got caught watching the ball, which stretched the space between Real Madrid\u2019s lines for Bellerin to find Isco.<\/p>\n Surrendering possession and resorting to defending deep over certain periods gave the opposition team the opportunity to look for different routes to generate threat and return in the score, especially when Real Madrid doesn\u2019t display compactness and coordination during these phases. In fact, it becomes riskier in neutral game states, as the team concedes play near the penalty box, which means it becomes susceptible to giving up more crosses, shots, set pieces, etc and as a consequence, the probability of conceding goals increases.<\/p>\n Against Real Betis, Real Madrid squandered chances on multiple occasions. Resultantly, the team found itself playing in a neutral game state for a long period of time. Before the corner leading to Betis\u2019 goal, Real Madrid conceded a foul. After that, Cucurella and Bellingham found themselves defending against Deossa, Riquelme, and Bellerin before Vinicius Junior joined to support. The latter regained the ball, but he couldn\u2019t keep it as Deossa won the physical battle. Therefore, Los Blancos were under a second wave of attack closer to the penalty box, ending up in a corner, from which Pellegrini\u2019s team scored. In the end, Real Madrid was in a position of a negative game state.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n