Real starting to drift off course

ATTACKING WOES CONTINUE FOR SPANIARDS Lopetegui says the bit of luck they needed has deserted them.

The last time Real Madrid went three games without a goal was in January 2007 and at the end of the season Fabio Capello was sacked. Few deficiencies irk their fans more than shyness in attack and after an encouraging start under Julen Lopetegui, Madrid have drifted off course.

Their 1-0 defeat by CSKA Moscow on Tuesday left them three games without a win, even if none of those were straightforward.

“The atmosphere in the dressing room is not good,” midfielder Luka Modric said. “When you do not score in three consecutive games, it is a bit of a worry.”

In terms of position, the dip has barely made a scratch, with Madrid still level on points at the top of La Liga with equally out-ofform Barcelona. And as they have proven in the last two seasons in Champions League, group stage stumbles are easily corrected.

There is concern about the team’s bluntness up front, a complaint that references the decision to sell Cristiano Ronaldo and a failure to sign an elite replacement.

Madrid have scored four fewer goals than in their first two group games last season.

“[He] set the bar very high,” Keylor Navas said. “You cannot cover the sun with your finger.”

A fortnight ago his departure was being hailed as a boost to balance, unity, not to mention Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.

Benzema started on Tuesday but delivered the sort of performance that has become familiar, high on effort, low on precision.

“We didn’t have that bit of luck you need,” Lopetegui said. Madrid did hit the woodwork three times.

Alaves await them on Saturday before winnable matches at home to Levante and Plzen.

Lopetegui will be hoping for goals. “Ten days ago we played a magnificent game against Roma,” he said. “We were not invincible then and we are not terrible now.” – AFP