Three talking points ahead of Levante vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD6 | OneFootball

Real Madrid return to action on Tuesday night in La Liga against Levante at the Ciutat de Valencia as they look to continue their splendid form this season.

Currently seated proudly on top of the table with 15 points in five games, Los Blancos are flying and seemingly unbeatable. They look well-oiled, have a clear purpose, and have excelled across the park.

Their opponents on the night, Levante, however, cannot quite say the same about themselves as they kicked off their campaign with three straight defeats before racking up a draw and a win in their latest game.

Notably, however, they were 2-0 up against Barcelona on matchday two and forced a second-half comeback from the Catalans on the night – a result that did not go down well for them but serves as a testament to the quality they can possess.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Levante vs Real Madrid.

Need for new leaders in attack

Real Madrid’s start to the new season has been phenomenal, especially given that they have had to adapt to a new manager’s ideologies.

So far, Los Blancos have yet to drop a point across both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League and their record suggests that the attack has been impressive and the defence solid.

Yet, a deeper dive makes it clear that Real Madrid’s attack has been carried single-handedly by Kylian Mbappe who now has five goals and an assist in as many games in the league.

Mbappe’s form and adaptation to Real Madrid, needless to say, are a major positive, and Alonso will be pleased that his star man has continued his red-hot form from the end of last season.

There is, however, a concurrent school of thought that takes the same information as concerning. After all, Real Madrid have seen no other player take up responsibility and deliver in the department.

As the men in white take to the field on matchday six, the Merengues will hope a new face can step up n attack and deliver the goals on the night. After all, Mbappe’s form is important but so is having alternate options to rely on in the department.

Huijsen must be cautious

Back after serving a one-match ban. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Dean Huijsen has only been a Real Madrid player for a few months now, but he has already seen two red cards. Irrespective of whether those sanctions were deserved or not, the fact that the player has got into trouble twice in such a short period is worrying.

The youngster missed the team’s win over Espanyol owing to a suspension he earned in the team’s clash against Real Sociedad and will return tomorrow against Levante. He will, however, have to be cautious to not find himself in such risky situations again.

It is clear that Huijsen is Real Madrid’s best defender and a long-term bet for the management and administration.

However, it was his red card that weakened the team ahead of their eventual elimination in the FIFA Club World Cup and once again placed them in jeopardy earlier this month.

As the player makes his return from suspension, the manager must thus make it clear that the player must operate within certain set boundaries of risk and that striking the balance is critical.

Rotating with the derby in mind

It has not taken long into the season for Real Madrid’s schedule to cramp up and Los Blancos are already staring at a schedule with two games every week.

Having played against Espanyol just two days ago, the men in white face off against Levante tomorrow and have an even more vital clash against Atletico Madrid next weekend.

While it is true that they have over 72 hours to prepare for the derby, managing the minutes of players who need the rest will be critical and Alonso must look to do the same tomorrow.

The likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Alvaro Carreras and Kylian Mbappe have played all six of the team’s games with no respite and it will thus be interesting to see if the manager sees any of them starting on the bench against Levante.

Further, he could look to rotate key players like Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Eder Militao to different capacities on the night based on his plans for the Madrid derby later in the week.

While it is true that the manager will only take one game at a time, it is inevitable that the derby plays a part in his decision making tomorrow, especially given that the team are facing a relatively lower-ranked opposition.