Real Madrid 1-1 Eibar: Surprise at the Bernabeu

Contrary to their determination to win their first match after three consecutive draws, Real had to receive another unwanted result when hosting Eibar in round seven of La Liga.

Bale (in white) and Ronaldo could not help Real win against their weaker opponent. Photo: Reuters

Goals: Gareth Bale 17' - Fran Rico 6'

Visiting the Bernabeu, Eibar surprised everyone by opening the scoring in the sixth minute. The scorer was Fran Rico, with a header that goalkeeper Keylor Navas couldn't block.

The pressure after the goal did not help Real much other than equalizing 1-1. After Gareth Bale's header leveled the score, the home team played deadlocked and had to accept a share of the points.

This is Real's fourth consecutive match in all competitions. As a result, coach Zidane and his team lost the top spot in La Liga. Atletico currently have the same 15 points as Real and have a better goal difference.

In terms of strength, coach Zidane may have made a mistake by leaving Sergio Ramos out. Without Ramos' headers, Real immediately paid the price with a goal in the air. After Pepe failed to clear the ball with his header, Fran Rico easily finished in an unmarked position, causing the ball to bounce off goalkeeper Navas and into the net. Pepe and his partner Varane are both of ideal height, but defending in the air requires the ability to judge the landing point, which Ramos possesses among the best in La Liga.

Joy after Eibar players' opening goal.

The defense may only be part of the reason for Real's draw. The rest, and the bigger part, belongs to the attack. In this line, while Bale was the only player in positive form, Ronaldo and Benzema both played below their best. CR7 had many inaccurate shots and somewhat hasty handling, while Benzema was too pale compared to his form last season. Coach Zidane even had to replace the striker wearing the number 9 shirt right after the break with Alvaro Morata. Compared to Benzema, Ronaldo at least somewhat recovered his image with an accurate cross for Bale to head in to equalize the score in the 17th minute.

The poor performance of the attack line also comes from Real's midfield. Coach Zidane lacks two key players in the squad, Casemiro and Luka Modric. The two players who have replaced him, Kovacic and Isco, are not at the level to make a difference. The former is not suited to the task of recovering the ball, while the latter is only good at dribbling but does not have the tactical vision of a conductor. Lacking support from the midfield, Ronaldo and Benzema often have to retreat to get the ball.

While the home team lacked the firepower to attack, Eibar were wise enough to understand the effect of a large defense. As the match progressed, Eibar's defense became more and more effective. Ronaldo had a few shots but they either hit the opposing defender or went wide. Morata was also unable to do much more, including a situation where he put the ball into the Eibar net and was called offside.

Bale and Ronaldo only had one time to share joy.

In addition to their deep defence, the visitors also needed luck to earn a point at the Bernabeu. In the middle of the second half, Bale had a powerful header but it only hit the post and bounced out. In the 86th minute, Eibar defender Mauro dos Santos almost scored an own goal when he headed the ball straight at goalkeeper Riesgo.

After much effort, Eibar can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The 1-1 draw not only helps the away team hold their heads high, but also brings them to eighth place. Eibar currently has 11 points after seven rounds, with three wins, two draws and two losses.

According to VNE