Behind the noise of declining performances: Real Madrid brandish their most dangerous weapon in the face of criticism
Featured in 6 matches
Real Madrid keep winning. The style has gone, the comfortable finishes have gone, but the fight remains, and it's that fight which keeps dragging them out of trouble. Against Roma they trailed 1-3 and won 4-3, all four goals arriving inside eight minutes.
Spanish newspaper "Marca" revealed that the fighting spirit has become one of the most prominent strengths of Jose Mourinho's side, with its impact showing in 6 of the 10 matches the team has played this season, whether by producing a late comeback or by continuing to fight despite adverse circumstances.
Federico Valverde summed it up after the Roma comeback: "With a fighting spirit, we have begun to achieve what we are striving for. I am proud that the team possesses this fighting spirit." Mourinho put the uprising down to "the players' courage".
6 matches reveal Real Madrid's other face
Roma was no one-off. Madrid have scrapped their way to the final whistle in a handful of games this season.
A 90th-minute goal saw off Espanyol, and the same script played out against Elche. Real Betis and Atletico Madrid brought the same refusal to fold, even if the results didn't follow.
Kylian Mbappe missed the penalty that would have levelled things at Betis. In the Atletico derby, down to ten men, Madrid still went looking for a way back, Antonio Rudiger scoring in the 89th minute of a 1-2 defeat.
Villarreal offered a different kind of test. Vinicius Junior was sent off, the second goal never came, but Madrid protected their one-goal lead for more than 20 minutes under constant pressure.
Then came Roma, the clearest example of the lot. Two goals down, Madrid turned it into a precious victory, the players driving forward to the end.
Asencio put it plainly: "We did not want to surrender, we were determined to win the match."
8 victories give Mourinho a line of defence amid the criticism
Noise follows this team on and off the pitch, and the performances invite plenty of it. Eight wins and two defeats from the first 10 matches is the counter-argument.
La Liga is where the pressure bites hardest. Barcelona's flying start has handed Mourinho an early problem in the title race. The Champions League looks far healthier, with Madrid sitting inside the top eight on a perfect record.
Jude Bellingham would rather talk about the results than the criticism. "Sometimes there are matches that are a little harder, but we have won most of them," he said.
