Last season was anything but good for Real Madrid. The disaster known as the 2018/19 season will be one that they will want to clear from the history books at the Bernabeu. As they move into the 2019/20 season – and the first full season of Zinedine Zidane’s second spell as boss – it can be argued that fans are erring on the side of caution. Pre-season has been dominated by the rumours of a Gareth Bale departure. A return to winning ways is the aim, but will Los Blancos still be feeling the effects of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s departure?
Real Madrid New Season Anticipated With Caution
New Players Must Make Impact
Zidane wasted no time freshening up his Madrid squad. Five players have arrived through the doors of the Bernabeu, for more than €300 million.
As a result, they will be expected to hit the ground running. None more so than former Chelsea star Eden Hazard. The Belgian is viewed as the long-awaited replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. Naturally, the pressure is on. While he may not replicate the 50-goal-a-season tallies provided by Ronaldo, Hazard will add style and skill to the Real Madrid lineup.
All the pressure lies on Los Blancos attack, as fellow new signing Luka Jovic is also expected to add goals. Despite his 21 goals last season, Karim Benzema is now 31 and seen as outdated by many. His Serbian replacement is ten years his younger and scored 27 goals in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt last season. Jovic may find it tough at first but will prove a more than adequate replacement in the near future.
Woeful Pre-Season
While pre-season is used to regain fitness ahead of the new season and results don’t necessarily matter, form is always useful. Zidane’s side is yet to win in 90 minutes so far in their warm-up games. A humiliating defeat to Madrid rivals Atletico extended their misery.
Misery and attention-grabbing headlines have also been seen off of the pitch. The transfer saga surrounding Gareth Bale has dominated the headlines. Manager Zinedine Zidane and their hierarchy want the Welshman out of the club. However, at the time of writing, he is yet to depart the Bernabeu. The 30-year-old was close to sealing a move to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning, but it was called off at the last minute. If Bale is still at the Bernabeu come the start of the new season for Real Madrid then it could cast a shadow over Zinedine Zidane.
Real Madrid New Season Expectation
The expectation for this season will be no different to any other season for Real Madrid – beat El Clasico rivals Barcelona to the league title. Barcelona have won the last two league titles, and Madrid will be insistent on not allowing three in a row to happen.
If the league title does not arrive come May, then they will be hoping another trophy does. They will be hoping to avenge last season’s humiliation in the Champions League, as well as going one step further in the Copa del Rey.
Success is the aim, but there are certainly nerves ahead of the new season for Real Madrid.
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