Translated by

Sudden collapse: Real Madrid worry their fans with a lacklustre draw

Real Madrid impressed in the first half of their friendly against Fiorentina, then watched their level collapse after the break. They had to settle for a 2-2 draw on Saturday evening.

Endrick and Alexis Seria scored for Los Blancos, on a night that also handed debuts to Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espi.

In its analysis, "AS" reported that Real Madrid looked keener to press and win the ball back in the first half, before enduring worrying minutes of collapse in the second.

There was no win, but defeats at this stage don't hurt. Real Madrid always take their notes.

Individually, Dumfries made his first appearance in the club's shirt without drawing much attention, and Carlos Espi also featured for the first time. Trent Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, looked more developed, particularly going forward compared to his defensive work.

Arda Guler produced some distinctive technical touches. Endrick played with excessive enthusiasm, all that activity helping him score, though his haste and overeagerness to prove himself hurt his overall level.

Manager Jose Mourinho is currently working through a comprehensive assessment phase. He wants to separate the players capable of staying from those who don't deserve the chance, testing the academy prospects and working to shake off the psychological scars of the past two seasons, both of which ended without silverware.

The shape of Mourinho's plan has begun to emerge. He leans on a 4-2-3-1 that sometimes shifts into a 3-4-2-1, a switch that could accommodate Diomande on arrival alongside Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior together, which demands an extremely strong defensive line.

Against Fiorentina, Real Madrid started with seven players from the first team and four from the reserves.

Camavinga and Valverde took charge of the midfield, with Guler behind the striker and Arnold in a hybrid role between third centre-back and third midfielder. Dumfries pushed forward plenty on the right flank, which comes naturally to a player who always prefers the opponent's half to defending.

Mourinho also handed a chance to two young defenders with experience in Real Madrid's and Spain's age categories: Joan Martinez, 18, and Mario Rivas, 19, the son of former defender Nano Rivas.

Getty Images Sport
Endrick seizes his chance to convince Mourinho
The match also represented an important test for Endrick, amid competition with new arrival Carlos Espi, who started the game on the substitutes' bench.
Back from a loan spell at Lyon, the Brazilian striker wasted no time. Güler sent a deep ball to Álvaro Carreras, who played a low cross that Endrick turned into the net after a quick touch and a superb left-footed finish, giving Real Madrid the lead.
He got his goal, but Endrick lacked composure and precision throughout. What he didn't lack was enthusiasm and desire.
By that point, Real Madrid had absorbed Fiorentina's initial enthusiasm and imposed a high press with quick recovery of the ball. The club's fans had demanded that style for years, and it is a hallmark of modern football, where the defence begins from the opponent's areas.
The pressing soon paid off. After winning the ball in the attacking third, Camavinga burst forward before playing a cross that Güler cleverly let run through, reaching Alexis Sierra, who fired it powerfully into David de Gea's net for the second.
Real Madrid relied on the experience of Valverde, alongside the multiple roles of Arnold, who played as a full-back, centre-back and midfielder all at once, making use of his great creative abilities despite his continued defensive struggles.
Fiorentina, meanwhile, began a new project of their own under Fabio Grosso. They initially settled for defending and relying on counter-attacks, before Piccoli reduced the deficit shortly before the end of the first half following a clever move that Mario Rivas failed to deal with.

AFP
Turnaround in the second half
Everything changed after the break. Fiorentina seized control and carved out three clear-cut chances in just six minutes, the pick of them falling to Gudmundsson, who fired narrowly wide of the post.
Real Madrid looked surprisingly disjointed. The Italians kept the pressure on until they found their equaliser.
Fagioli started the move down the left, then whipped in a medium-height cross that Moise Kean glanced into the net, getting the better of Mario Rivas.
Grosso reshaped his side too, ditching a deep defence for aggressive high pressing that rattled the Real Madrid players.
The friendly edge drained away as the minutes ticked by. Tackles, fouls and stoppages piled up, both teams desperate for a positive result.
With a quarter of an hour left, Mourinho turned to striker Carlos Espi, an attacking option who offers aerial strength and a presence inside the box when required.
Espi nearly won it on his debut but squandered a golden chance. The tempo gradually dropped, Fiorentina seemingly happy with the draw and Real Madrid short of the energy for one last push.