Real Madrid lost against Valencia and reactions didn't take long to appear. One of the most desired, as always, is from Maldini, a renowned sports analyst in Spain. Speaking about this match on Deporte Plus, he didn't hold back and clearly pointed out the problem this team has: the evident lack of aggressiveness.
"I've seen a Madrid that, at many moments, since they don't press high, Valencia was more or less comfortable when they had the ball. Real Madrid has to be more aggressive, especially in matches like this," said the analyst.
"It's true that it's not a match to lose: it was set for a draw, Valencia was signing it in blood. These things, on the counterattack, can happen," Maldini added.
Real Madrid vs. Valencia: This is how the match went
It wasn't an easy duel last evening at Santiago Bernabéu. It all started with a penalty called on Mbappé that Vinícius missed. From there, everything went downhill for Madrid.
Shortly after, Madrid saw how the Valencians would take the lead on the scoreboard. They did it through Diakhaby, comfortably heading a corner inside the small area, an action that Fran González couldn't stop.
Real Madrid had chances to equalize, but the 1-1 came at the second half, when Vinícius Júnior redeemed himself from his missed penalty. The Brazilian caught the ball in a corner in a clever move. Comfortably, he headed it and easily beat Mamardashvili, who was at a great level at Bernabéu.
In injury time, when it seemed that the contested match would end in a draw... Hugo Duro completed the victory for the chés, heading completely alone and scoring the 1 to 2.
Real Madrid Complicates the League
Real Madrid can't afford more mistakes in the remaining League. There are already 30 matches played, being in second place in the championship with 63 points. Ahead is Barcelona, who hours later drew with Betis, adding 67 points and having a distance of 4.
Despite Ancelotti's team competing for all titles, the reality is they can't afford these stumbles. As Maldini rightly says, it's not about a lack of soccer, but aggressiveness. That shouldn't be negotiable.