Álvaro Arbeloa's arrival as Real Madrid manager has been like a rollercoaster ride. His debut was marred by the team's elimination from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Albacete in a very poor performance by Los Blancos, which was marked by the manager's decisions to leave key players such as Courtois and Mbappe in Madrid.

Although it is true that Real Madrid have won both of their EA Sports La Liga matches and have not conceded a single goal, their football has not been impressive. Against Levante at the Santiago Bernabéu, the crowd booed their team in a clear show of anger, as the performance was not good. Their best match was against Villarreal at La Cerámica, where they were very solid as a team and their teamwork was remarkable. Those six points have allowed them to close the gap on Barcelona by three points.

EA Sports League standings

1. Barcelona: 52 points
2. Real Madrid 51 points
3. Atlético de Madrid 44 points
4. Villarreal 40 points (one game less)

Life has become complicated in the Champions League

If the positive aspect of Álvaro Arbeloa's arrival has been that Real Madrid are now one point behind Barcelona in the EA Sports League, the negative side has been their drop to the play-off round in the Champions League, as well as their elimination from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Albacete, from the Hypermotion League.

In the Aragonese coach's first match, the Whites thrashed Monaco at the Santiago Bernabéu, scoring half a dozen goals. However, at the Da Luz stadium in Lisbon, where they won their tenth Champions League, they lost to José Mourinho's Benfica in another display of defensive inconsistency and collective disorder throughout the ninety minutes.

The Portuguese side showed that Álvaro Arbeloa's Real Madrid have a lot of work to do. In the Champions League, they have made life difficult for themselves and have been forced to play an extra knockout match to reach the last 16, where, if they get there, they will play the second leg away from home. In turn, if they want to compete for the title in the EA Sport League until the end, they will have to be a consistent team.