Newfound balance, Diomande’s strong case | Three takeaways from Racing Club 0-3 Real Madrid

Newfound balance, Diomande’s strong case | Three takeaways from Racing Club 0-3 Real Madrid Real Madrid only needed the first half to end Racing Santander’s unbeaten run at home last night, as they deposited three goals past the hosts with ease. An early penalty gave Real Madrid the lead easily, with Kylian Mbappe both winning and converting the same. Jude Bellingham then stepped up and doubled Los Blancos’ advantage just ten minutes later. In the 36th minute, Yan Diomande netted a screamer to make it 3-0 in Los Blancos favour, and the team then shifted to cruise control. The game went on to have a disallowed goal and a cancelled penalty,  but the result was never in doubt. Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Racing Santander 0-3 Real Madrid. Mourinho has struck the balance Mourinho seems to have found the balance at Real Madrid. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) If one thing has become clear from Real Madrid’s past month across all competitions, it is that Jose Mourinho has finally struck the right balance in his starting XI. For a long time, the men in white were lacking a sense of cohesion on the field with the side looking disjointed and far from harmonious. Now, however, Real Madrid’s attack looks to be more in sync than ever before. Jude Bellingham’s runs in between the lines, Yan Diomande’s dribbling threat on the flank, Kylian Mbappe’s ruthless finishing and Arda Guler’s creative touch are all sitting perfectly together, and players now have clear coordination in terms of their movements and combinations. Added to that, the manager has also adapted the midfield to have a combination of physicality and brawn, with Bernardo Silva and Aurelien Tchouameni starting last evening along the same lines. It is clear that Real Madrid’s improved results in recent weeks are no surprise, for their improved chemistry on the field is directly translating into the same. Credit, quite clearly, goes to Jose Mourinho’s way. Diomande makes his case clear Yan Diomande scored a stunning goal against Racing. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) Yan Diomande started slowly at Real Madrid. He took his time to adapt to the team’s dynamics and was even shielded from the limelight by Jose Mourinho for a while. Initially brought in to strengthen the right wing, there was a dilemma on whether the manager should start him or Arda Guler in that department. Vinicius Jr.’s suspension, however, seemingly changed everything. With the left-wing position up for grabs, Diomande was moved to the other end of the field and began excelling immediately. Last night was more of the same, and it is now difficult to see Vinicius Jr. breaking into the starting XI once again. Against Racing Club, Diomande played 85 minutes with three shots, one on target, and one spectacular goal with a strike from distance. He was a constant threat down the flank and completed three of five attempted dribbles. The verticality he brings to the field is almost irreplaceable for Los Blancos , and the player is now making his case very clear. In his last six games for Real Madrid, he has racked up four goals and three assists and has been a standout player on every occasion.  To see a Real Madrid starting lineup without his versatility in attack, at this point, appears unfathomable. A clean sheet after a long time Courtois finally kept a clean sheet. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) Jose Mourinho’s teams have traditionally been highlighted by rock-solid defensive performances, but it took a while for Real Madrid to assume that level of stability at the back in his ongoing tenure. After a difficult period where the defence seemed to be a weak link for Los Blancos, however, the situation has now seemingly turned around. In recent games, Mourinho’s men have looked far more comfortable at the back than they did at the beginning of the season, and they have even conceded fewer goals with more possession of the ball. Yet, the clean sheet seemed to be evading them. Last evening, they finally secured a clean sheet once again, and it is a testament to their improved resilience at the back. After all, it was their first clean sheet in five games. Trent Alexander-Arnold started at right-back against Racing Club and did well, giving the manager reason to trust him more. The duo of Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konate also stood out as resilient, with the former putting in a special shift. If Los Blancos can retain the same level of defensive rigidity while also keeping their newfound attacking firepower, very few teams can claim to be better than them. Mourinho is slowly unleashing a monster.