In the 7th round of La Liga, Real Madrid lost to Atletico Madrid 2-5 in the same city derby. "The Athletic" wrote an article about some of the impact of this game's crushing defeat on Real Madrid.

What is the main topic around Real Madrid at the moment?

This defeat made Real Madrid extremely embarrassed, and its impact continued to ferment. The 5-2 score completely erased Alonso's good start as the new coach. The coach's roster choice has been criticized in many ways, including starting with Bellingham, who has just recovered from shoulder surgery.

At the same time, some key players who performed well before, such as Valverde, Heisen and Carreras, were also criticized separately. In addition, Real Madrid sent 8 players under the age of 23 (including substitutes) in the game, which also sparked discussions about the composition of the lineup this season.

The loss also brought another big problem: Carvajal is expected to miss four to five weeks due to a calf muscle injury, meaning the veteran may miss the Spanish national derby on October 26. To make matters worse, Real Madrid had to fly more than 6,400 kilometers to Kazakhstan to participate in the Champions League match against Keilat in Almaty. According to sources traveling with the team, the atmosphere of the team is like "attending a funeral".

How did Real Madrid react to the derby loss? After the game, we talked with several insiders of Real Madrid to understand their views on the game and how the team will handle the result. Everyone was shocked by the score. Although one staff member said he should not have questions about whether Bellingham should start, nor should he interpret his decision to be replaced after his comeback.

But one coaching staff member admitted that the team may lack experience in dealing with such occasions, especially in a daunting atmosphere like the Metropolitan Stadium. He believes that the team’s younger age may be a factor in the loss, while another believes that the team lacks leadership.

Meanwhile, several sources close to the players said the players realized they were not showing enough strength. One mentioned that while no one would actively look forward to a away game against Kyrat, it is now seen as a chance to respond quickly to the derby fiasco.

What else did we find out from this defeat?

A basic fact is that Real Madrid still has a long way to go before they find their best form, and they face many problems. The previous consecutive wins may have exaggerated the performance of Alonso's team. Although Real Madrid won all the first seven games of the season, they suffered a crushing defeat when they met their important opponent for the first time. The loss to Paris 0-4 in the Club World Cup in July seemed more predictable. The instability on the defensive end became the biggest problem, and although the injury did have an impact (even before Carvajal was injured), the opponent completed 13 shots after all. To be honest, the score may be worse.

Another urgent problem to be solved is Valverde's position in the midfield. He has not yet fully adapted to Alonso's requirements and performed poorly in high-pressures, resulting in an imbalance in the team. His performance in this game was fluctuating, and a mistake directly led to Griezmann's goal. Valverde may be placed in the right back position, as it did last season.

Possibly unknown details?

In the 6th round of the 4-1 victory over Levante, four Real Madrid analysts watched the game live, one of the new members was Jessus Lueda, who focused on set piece tactics and worked at Leganes last season. This appointment once again shows that the club is changing under Alonso's leadership, as Ancelotti's team had only one analyst last season.

In terms of training, Alonso doesn't like having too many people around him, so it's usually only accompanied by assistant coach Carmen Fort and several physiotherapists.

What should we pay attention to this week?

First of all, how to react against Keilat, and the impact of this expedition. Real Madrid's flight time to and from Kazakhstan is 17 hours, and they will then face Villarreal at home on Saturday. Alonso may consider a rotation, but losing to Atletico makes the decision even more tricky.

In addition, Militon will miss this Champions League due to ankle problems, and how Real Madrid adjusts its defense is also worth paying attention to. One option might be to switch to a three-guard formation, with Carreras, Heysen and Raul Asensio partnering.