Real Madrid’s goalscoring crisis could cost them the league title

Real Madrid will need goals when they face Manchester City next week. They will also need goals if they are to overturn Barcelona’s two-point lead in LaLiga – goals that are proving very hard to come by.

For years it was never a problem as Cristiano Ronaldo racked up 450 and those around him pitched in but this season Zinedine Zidane’s side have struggled.

When the season kicked off back last August it didn’t look like being a problem. Real Madrid had at least nine forwards for the three starting berths in what was usually a 4-3-3 formation.

Real Madrid’s goalscoring crisis could cost them league title as struggles continue in attack

Eden Hazard is out for the rest of the season, robbing Madrid of their most creative player

Gareth Bale is fit but continues to be left on the bench by Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane

It seemed Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard would be the first choice attack. And new signing Luka Jovic, flanked by Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius, would not be far behind them. And that still left Lucas Vazquez, Mariano Diaz and Brahim Diaz.

It was a healthy mix with three centre-forwards in the shape of Benzema, Jovic and Mariano, and six wingers all with goals in them.

And to that list of nine players named, three more could be added: Isco, James Rodriguez and Marco Asensio. The later was long-term injured and the other two would see themselves perhaps more as midfielders than forwards but all the same their presence in the squad would in the long term give Zidane even more options.

But with 11 games left Real Madrid’s biggest problem is breaking teams down. Bale is being ignored by Zidane, Benzema has not scored in open play since the start of February, Hazard is probably out for the rest of the season, Rodrgyo was, like Bale, an unused substitute at the weekend and has been overlooked in recent weeks while Jovic has been left out of the last three squads completely.

Vinicius is playing as well as anyone but only has two league goals in 19 games, Lucas has just two and Jovic the same.

Real Madrid’s midfield have contributed more goals in La Liga [11 between Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde and Casemiro] than the forwards with the exception of Benzema [Bale, Hazard, Jovic, Mariano, Rodrygo, Vinicius and Brahim have 10 between them]. And Benzema has dried up at the worst possible time.

He, along with Sergio Ramos, Militao, Kroos and Lucas, was given a zero rating for Sunday’s performance from Marca. He scored the penalty but carried little threat and gifted Betis possession from which they scored the winner.

‘I don’t say that Mariano is the answer,’ wrote Marca columnist Jose Felix Diaz on Monday, ‘but Benzema has not been there for Madrid for a while now. There is no reason why he should play every single game.’

Zidane’s loyalty to Benzema is matched only by his unwillingness to trust Bale any more. For the second week running he was on the bench but was never asked to warm up. He has scored 105 goals for Madrid in his 249 appearances, proving capable of finding the net when his team most need him to do it but he is not called upon anymore.

Summer signing Luka Jovic has scored just two goals in 24 appearances in all competitions

Marco Asensio suffered a serious knee injury  in July – Madrid have missed his craft in midfield

Vinicius Junior has been in fine form but has only scored two goals in 17 games this season

The French coach also seems to have temporarily given up on Luka Jovic and Rodrygo. The former is not even being included in match day squads and the young Brazilian, harshly ruled out of the Clasico because he responded to provocation from an opposing goalkeeper in a B-team game, was, like Bale, an unused sub at the weekend.

Real Madrid now trail Barcelona by two points

The wealth of options give Madrid supporters some hope that their manager con conjure a solution from somewhere. Next Friday they face Eibar who they beat 4-0 earlier in the season. If they win that game they will go top of La Liga once more ahead of Barcelona’s tricky trip to Mallorca.

Barcelona have attacking problems of their own. Luis Suarez is being sorely missed and under new coach Quique Setien, Antoine Griezmann has only scored once in eight league games since the managerial change.

But Barcelona have scored 63 goals this season to Real Madrid’s 49 and they always have Lionel Messi to get them out of trouble.

It will not matter that Barcelona have scored more if the two teams finish level on points at the end of the season because Madrid have the better head-to-head goal record. But it will matter if Barcelona better goals ratio gives them more points.

The problem for Madrid is that they don’t have anyone as reliable as Messi and among Zidane’s multiple options there appear to be too many players he has lost faith in. Something needs to change because a lack of goals cost them against Betis on Sunday and could yet cost them the title.