Four positives Real Madrid can still cling to despite a nightmare season

It has been a season to forget for Real Madrid. One by one, the biggest prizes have slipped away.

The Spanish Super Cup, Copa del Rey, La Liga, and even the UEFA Champions League have all moved beyond their reach.

While mathematically still alive in the title race, the reality tells a different story.

A nine-point gap to Barcelona has left their domestic ambitions hanging by a thread, making a comeback highly unlikely at this stage of the campaign.

Yet, even in what feels like a disappointing season by their own high standards, there are still meaningful targets left.

Individual brilliance and pride in key fixtures could yet offer a sense of redemption in an otherwise horrific season.

Mbappe chasing Pichichi glory

One of the biggest positives for Madrid has been the form of Kylian Mbappe, who remains in contention for the prestigious Pichichi Trophy.

The French forward has already scored 23 league goals, but the race is far from straightforward.

Vedat Muriqi is pushing him closely with 21 goals, ensuring the battle remains intense heading into the final stretch.

Beyond just leading the scoring charts, Mbappe is chasing something even more personal and to secure the award, he will likely need to surpass his own recent standards.

Over the past two seasons, the forward has consistently hit 44 goals across all competitions.

This term, he is already on 40, putting him within touching distance of matching, or even exceeding, that benchmark.

If he succeeds, it would reinforce his status as one of the most decisive players in European football.

Courtois eyeing Zamora despite injury

While Mbappe leads the charge in attack, Thibaut Courtois is competing for another major honour – the Zamora Trophy.

Despite currently being sidelined through injury, the Belgian remains at the top of the standings.

His main rival, Joan Garcia, has not yet reached the required 28 appearances needed to qualify, keeping Courtois in a strong position.

Courtois has conceded only 24 goals in 28 matches, averaging 0.86 goals per game.

Meanwhile, Garcia has conceded 19 goals in 25 appearances, with a slightly better average of 0.76.

Furthermore, David Soria, the Getafe goalkeeper currently second on the standings, has conceded 32 goals in 31 matches.

For Courtois, the equation is simple – he must maintain a tighter defensive record than his rival over the remaining fixtures.

If he manages that, it would secure his fourth Zamora Trophy and further cement his legacy at the club.

A historic double within reach

What makes this even more intriguing is the possibility of a rare double.

If Mbappe secures the Pichichi and Courtois claims the Zamora, Madrid would achieve something not seen in nearly four decades.

The last time this happened was during the 1987–88 season, when Hugo Sanchez and Paco Buyo dominated Spanish football by winning both awards.

Replicating that feat would provide a powerful statement, especially in a season where collective success has been limited.

Clasico pride still on the line

Beyond individual accolades, there is still pride to play for in the El Clasico.

Madrid have already secured victory in the first league meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu and now have the chance to complete a clean sweep when they travel to Camp Nou on 10 May.

Achieving wins in both league Clasicos is never straightforward, despite recent trends.

Madrid managed it as recently as the 2023–24 season, but historically, it has been a rare accomplishment. In fact, they have only completed this feat three times in the last 40 years.

There is also added motivation, as despite losing recent finals against Barcelona, Madrid have dominated league encounters, winning eight of the last 12 meetings between the two sides.

A victory at Camp Nou would not only secure bragging rights but also mark a symbolic moment of marking the first Clasico win at the newly opened Spotify Camp Nou.

After four games without a win across all competition, Real Madrid will be hoping to bounce back when they host Deportivo Alaves in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight.

The Merengues have been in wretched form since the end of the international break, first losing to RCD Mallorca in La Liga, before suffering a home defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.

A draw against Girona did little to improve their situation in the league, leaving them nine points behind Barcelona in the title race.

While Real Madrid showed fight and put up a largely improved performance in the reverse fixture vs Bayern last week, they still lost 4-3, getting eliminated from Europe.

This is Los Blancos’ worst run of results since they went five matches without a win in 2018 during the ill-fated reign of Julen Lopetegui. And, Alvaro Arbeloa & co. will be hoping to correct course tonight against Alaves, who are 17th in the league standings.

Real Madrid go into tonight’s game with only three absentees – Rodrygo Goes, Thibaut Courtois, and Raul Asencio. There are expected to be some changes to the team that started in Munich last week.

Defence

With Courtois still unavailable, Andriy Lunin is set to continue between the sticks for Real Madrid and the Ukrainian will be in search of a rare clean sheet.

Meanwhile, there could be a few of alterations at the back, with captain Dani Carvajal expected to come in at right-back, giving Trent Alexander-Arnold a break. With this expected to be his final season at the club, Carvajal will want to sign off strongly.

At the heart of the defence, Antonio Rudiger could use some rest, making way for Dean Huijsen to return to the starting XI. The young Spaniard will partner up with Eder Militao, who has been in good nick since returning from injury.

On the left side of the Real Madrid defence, Alvaro Carreras could reclaim his place in the side ahead of Ferland Mendy, who made his comeback from injury against Bayern Munich.

Midfield

Real Madrid sorely missed the presence of Aurelien Tchouameni against Bayern Munich last week as he was unavailable through suspension for accumulation of cards.

Back available for tonight’s game, the French international will reclaim his rightful place in the middle of the park for the Merengues.

Partnering Tchouameni in the centre of the park is likely to be Arda Guler, who was one of Real Madrid’s brightest sparks last week, scoring a brace at the Allianz Arena.

Federico Valverde, who started in the holding midfield role in Tchouameni’s absence, will move to his usual spot on the right side of the midfield four, while Jude Bellingham could be stationed on the left, from where he will look to veer in centrally.

Attack

Up top, there is no looking past the megastar duo of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr., both of whom will be eager to bounce back strongly from the Champions League elimination.

For Mbappe, in particular, there is the added motivation of retaining his lead in the Pichichi Trophy race, as Vedat Muriqi is only two goals behind him.

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