Real Madrid Under Threat of Domino Effect

VITORIA-GASTEIZ, SATURDAY — The match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Madrid at Mendizorrotza Stadium on Sunday (13/4/2025) at 9:15 PM WIB is more than just a clash between top and bottom teams. The match carries a domino effect for Real, which is striving to rise from the ruins of adversity. A draw, let alone a loss, could potentially eliminate Real's chances of securing two prestigious trophies.

Real is currently facing a negative trend. After securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League by heroically eliminating Atletico Madrid, Real's performance has been inconsistent. They managed to achieve two consecutive victories against Villarreal and Leganes, but "Los Blancos" suddenly lost their edge. Real has not won in their last three matches.

They could only secure a 4-4 draw when hosting Real Sociedad in the semifinals of the Spanish King's Cup. Although they advanced to the final thanks to a 5-4 aggregate advantage, Real's performance received much criticism for losing focus, which led to conceding a goal by Mikel Oyarzabal that forced the match into extra time.

After struggling to withstand Sociedad's onslaught, Real suffered a surprising 1-2 defeat to Valencia at their own home ground. Their dominance over Valencia at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, which had lasted since 2008, was immediately shattered. Before the painful memory of the defeat to Valencia could fade, Real was once again faced with a bitter reality when they were crushed 0-3 by Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

The crushing defeat against Arsenal has further complicated Real's progress in both the Champions League and La Liga. This is because the matches against Alaves and Arsenal are only four days apart. Real's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is faced with a difficult choice between rotating players or fielding his full-strength squad against Alaves.

A four-day interval can be considered sufficient to restore the players' stamina. Ideally, football players require a minimum recovery time of three days. However, Real's management wants their players to have a longer rest period to ensure they are fit to face Arsenal in the second meeting.

For that reason, Real submitted a request to the Spanish League operator to move the match against Alaves forward by one day to allow for a longer rest period before hosting Arsenal. The Alaves side did not object to the proposed rescheduling of the match, but the Spanish League operator subsequently rejected it.

Real's move is understandable because the match against Alaves will be crucial for their efforts to win the Champions League and La Liga this season. If they choose to rotate players, the possibility of Alaves stealing points is wide open, which will threaten Real's chances of winning La Liga.

Real need to sweep the remaining eight matches to continue to pressure Barcelona at the top of the standings. The domino effect will be felt very big if Real fails to beat Alaves. In addition to widening the gap with Barca, a negative result against Alaves will certainly affect the confidence of Real players when hosting Arsenal.

However, they have not tasted victory in three games. A negative result from the visit to Alaves' headquarters will only destroy the mentality of Real players for longer. Arsenal is the party that benefits from this situation. If that happens, Real will almost certainly lose the La Liga trophy and the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Alaves coach Eduardo Coudet dismissed the notion that his team's chances of a positive result are growing amid Real's negative trend. He still considers Real to be a dangerous team.

"It would be rude to think it's easy to beat Real Madrid now. They are a team with top-level players and a great coach," Coudet was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo.

Alaves are currently sitting in 17th place and are fighting to stay away from the relegation zone. They are just two points behind Leganes who are in 18th place. Coudet instructed his players not to give Real players any space to develop their game.

"The game is not just about defending or attacking. We have to show intensity and not give their players time to think," Coudet said.