As: Real Madrid need to consider whether to pursue ball control advantages or maintain a traditional fast offensive style

September 22 News Recently, "As" talked about Real Madrid's different tactical styles. They said that Real Madrid now needs to consider whether to pursue ball possession advantages or maintain the traditional fast offensive style.

Real Madrid defeated Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday, continuing the five-game winning streak this season. However, the game data reveal a phenomenon worth exploring: Although Real Madrid has a possession rate of up to 72% in this game, they only have 16 shots, half of which came from Mbappe. During the game, the team led by Alonso controlled the rhythm from the beginning and gained the advantage through patient passes and long-term ball control. However, this ball-handling advantage does not translate into more scoring opportunities. This phenomenon was also reflected in the previous two home games (versus Osasuna and Mallorca). In those two games, Real Madrid's shots were 18 and 17, which was almost the same as their performance against Espanyol.

It is worth noting that in the last game against Real Sociedad, Real Madrid beat one less person for most of the time as Heysen was sent off in the 32nd minute. Even so, they still completed 23 shots, more than they did against Espanyol.

This contrast triggers reflection on the team's tactical style. Although a large number of passes help consume the opponent and stabilize the defense, it does not always bring effective offensive depth or breakthrough, and the offense mainly relies on long shots and sporadic opportunities. Although such a performance is enough to ensure victory (with goals from Militon and Mbappe), it seems not impactful enough compared to previous matches against Marseille and Oviedo.

In any case, this victory consolidates Real Madrid's unbeaten record in the league. However, the discussion about tactical choices continues: whether absolute ball-handling should be prioritized, even if it means reducing the number of shots, the team's traditional fast offensive style should be maintained, and the answer may be to find a balance between the two.