Four things we learned from Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal

Four things we learned from Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal Real Madrid returned to winning ways with a narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal, but the performance once again left a lot to be desired. The result did little to hide the problems that continue to affect Jose Mourinho’s team, and the refereeing controversies became a talking point once more. Yan Diomande’s second-half goal helped Los Blancos secure three valuable points. That said, Madrid struggled to establish sustained attacking control over the game. There were some encouraging individual performances, but the same questions about the midfield, Arda Guler’s positioning and the team’s attacking structure cropped up. Here are four things we learned from Real Madrid’s narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal. Yan Diomande is ready to start more regularly Diomande was easily Madrid’s most dangerous attacking player against Villarreal, and his decisive goal was a consequence of an impressive performance. What makes the youngster particularly valuable is his willingness to attack defenders directly. Madrid have often looked hesitant in possession this season. They have kept the ball and circulated it without necessarily focusing on one-v-one situations, which could be directly related to Vinicius Junior’s poor form. Diomande offered something different in this regard. His directness forced full-backs into making decisions and opened up space for his team-mates. With Vinicius now facing a potential suspension , Mourinho has an obvious opportunity to give Diomande greater responsibility. Valverde-Tchouameni double pivot does not work Not effective enough. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni are excellent footballers. That said, they do not seem to work well together for Madrid. Both offer physicality, defensive awareness and the ability to cover large areas. Those qualities are important, particularly for a team that can be vulnerable when opponents counter-attack. However, Madrid’s biggest problem against Villarreal was not a lack of defensive protection. It was their difficulty progressing the ball into dangerous areas. Too often, both midfielders moved the ball sideways without offering a penetrating option that broke the Villarreal defence. Valverde’s greatest strengths include his powerful running and ability to influence different phases of play. He looked much better operating as a flank player than as a midfielder, and it is high time Mourinho started using Bernardo Silva more regularly. Arda Guler is far more useful operating centrally Guler’s positioning remains another important tactical question. The Turkey international possesses the vision, technical quality and passing range to influence the game and turn it in Madrid’s favour. Against Villarreal, Madrid looked more fluid whenever Guler moved inside and helped connect the midfield with the forwards. From central positions, he can receive between opposition lines, combine with Jude Bellingham and identify forward runs before defenders have time to react. Even if Guler starts on the wing, his primary role has to be drifting inside and almost acting as a second No. 10 in build-up alongside Bellingham. Having excellent attack-minded overlapping right-backs like Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold allows Guler to do just that. Madrid must start using Guler more centrally in the coming weeks and make use of his excellent vision to improve their attacking structure. A group of talented individuals Mourinho needs to turn this Real Madrid side into a cohesive unit. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) Perhaps the biggest concern is that Madrid continue to look more dangerous through individual moments of brilliance rather than collective play. There is no shortage of quality. Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Guler and Diomande all possess the ability to decide matches. However, Mourinho is yet to identify a system that gives the team structure and allows these stars to thrive in unison. When one player receives possession, team-mates should already be moving into positions that create multiple options. Too often, Madrid’s attackers appear disconnected, leaving the player on the ball to solve the situation alone. With a trip to the Spotify Camp Nou approaching, Madrid need to address this situation sooner rather than later. Mourinho has the talent available. Now he needs to make those players function as a team if he harbours any hope of success in La Liga this season.