Dortmund Draw Shows Both the Progression and Improvements Needed for Real Madrid

Real Madrid threw away top spot in UEFA Champions League Group F and a 2-0 lead over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night, but although they were second best, dropped two points and ended up second in the group, there were plenty of reasons for positivity for Zinedine Zidane and his side.

A second-half comeback from BVB meant the scoreline ended 2-2 after a Karim Benzema brace was cancelled out by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus—the latter netting with just a few minutes left on the clock.

As we discussed earlier in the week, however, second place holds no fears for Europe’s biggest sides this season, and Zidane won’t be irked by the runners-up spot as much as the defensive frailty his team once again showed—though further upfield, there were definite lessons to be taken, particularly with Cristiano Ronaldo and shaping the team around him.

Zinedine Zidane has now been in charge of Real Madrid for 50 games and his stats are pretty 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lhVYOTqiIa

— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) December 7, 2016

Always on the edge

Real might have held a two-goal lead for a period, but in truth, they were never really in control of the match—certainly never two goals better than their opponents and arguably playing more like the away team, despite the Santiago Bernabeu location.

Indeed, at the moment of Real’s second goal, it was Dortmund who were enjoying the best spell of the game for either team, with possession in good areas, a few chances in the box and lots of movement in the final third. But it was all undone in 30 seconds of play from the home side, culminating in a lapse in defence and a sublime James Rodriguez delivery.

For therein lies the approach of Zidane: a team that could be compact in their own half of the field but attack at pace and with numbers, as Real set up in a 4-4-2 for most of the game, with James and Lucas Vazquez the wide options.

Similar to the way Atletico Madrid operate the system, either one of the strikers would drop in a little when out of possession, but with Benzema and Cristiano the frontmen, it was much more of a clear two-man attack than in recent weeks when Isco has flitted around between the lines as a regular No. 10.

Real struggled for possession at times, had to work hard defensively and ultimately surrendered a two-goal lead—all of which makes disappointing reading. But football cannot be taken in isolation, without context, ignoring all elements of the …

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