- Real Madrid. Real Madrid need penalties to edge Valencia and reach Supercopa de Espana final
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Following Real Madrid's win against Valencia on penalties during the semi-finals of the Supercopa de Espana, boss Carlo Ancelotti itted that his team was far from its best.
In fact, were it not for striker Karim Benzema and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the reigning LaLiga Santander and Champions League champions could have exited the competition at the first hurdle.
"The team is not at its best," Carlo Ancelotti breathed a sigh of relief after going through to the Supercopa de Espana final on penalties.
The same could be said about their games against Real Valladolid and Villarreal, where the champions lost ground on their eternal rivals Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga Santander table.
What's abundantly clear is that the team is starting to rely heavily on their stars from last night. Since the resumption of club football following the World Cup, Real Madrid has looked laborious despite beating Real Valladolid in the league, with Courtois being the difference between the two sides, scraping by Cacereno in the Copa del Rey, before losing to Villarreal.
A major area of concern is the midfield which has not looked the same since Aurelien Tchouameni's injury. Eduardo Camavinga does not look comfortable as a starter despite the effervescent Toni Kroos next to him, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Ancelotti.
"The reading of the center has not been good," Ancelotti said after the game against Valencia.
Defensive woes
Another area of concern is the defense. Los Blancos are currently without David Alaba and Eder Militao, with the likes of Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy reing the squad in Saudi Arabia at the eleventh hour. With Tchouameni and Camavinga now also sidelined, Ancelotti will have to make do with the options at his disposal.
Games coming thick and fast
Real Madrid is also facing the prospect of a jam-packed fixture list. The club has the finals of the Supercopa de Espana to contend with on Sunday, following which a game against Villarreal awaits them in the Copa del Rey. Furthermore, Los Blancos have four tough fixtures in the league as well as the Club World Cup before their Champions League game against Liverpool in the Round of 16.
Given that most of the team's players featured in the mid-season World Cup, it is unsurprising that Real Madrid remains a far cry from the team that started the season with a win in the European Super Cup.