Fabio Capello, the former Real Madrid coach, believes Los Blancos would have delivered a far higher level of performance against Inter Milan in the Champions League had they not been suffering from absences in midfield.
José Mourinho's side came in for plenty of criticism over recent days for the way they approached the Inter Milan fixture in the first round of the Champions League. Yet many of those critics overlooked the absences that had ripped through the team's midfield.
Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler all sat out suspended, while Tchouaméni had not yet become available to feature.
Defensa Central published Capello's verdict on Real Madrid's display. "Inter Milan proved they are a team that commands great respect, but they are capable of offering more. They need to be convinced they are stronger. It was a good match, and they played with character, but we will not see Real Madrid in this state again," he said.
He went on: "The Real Madrid side were practically without a midfield. I know Real Madrid, and playing at the Santiago Bernabéu can be an impossible task. That is why I think they left the pitch convinced they can offer more and become more competitive, whether in the Champions League or La Liga."
Bad spells and flat football do come. Even so, Real Madrid remain a side capable of competing in La Liga, in domestic cups and in Europe.
Inter Milan never saw it coming in that last match. They watched Real Madrid strike twice at a point when the hosts were not controlling the ball, while the Italians were putting in the better performance.
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