In the 12th round of La Liga, Real Madrid had a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano in an away game and failed to score in two consecutive games in all competitions. "Marca" wrote an article about the problems of La Liga giants.

The most frustrating silence in a football match is the silence when a goal is not scored. Real Madrid were greeted at the Estadio Vallecas with no cheers that could mask the questions and doubts. This is the first time Los Blancos have failed to score in La Liga this season, and the timing is extremely unfortunate, just as the team is beginning to recover after the El Clasico. Although the arrival of the offseason provides the team with a necessary rest, it also reflects the team's plight like a mirror.

Real Madrid lacks smooth coordination and insufficient offensive power, which makes people feel that the team still has many shortcomings. The goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano confirmed that Alonso's team was at a low point, and this low point was not just due to bad luck. The La Liga giants' performance wasn't too bad, but it wasn't outstanding either. They were able to control the game, but they couldn't deliver the killing blow. When a sharp offensive weapon like Mbappe misfires, the problem becomes more serious.

The journey from Anfield to Vallecas is short but it is a difficult time for Real Madrid. In England, Courtois had to play a heroic role to avoid being defeated by Liverpool by a huge score; in Vallecas, Real Madrid created very few opportunities, and the few opportunities they had were resolved by Batala.

Mbappe, a highly anticipated and indispensable player, has become a symbol of Real Madrid's inability to recover. He touched the ball only 27 times in 90 minutes and had almost no performance. His scoring streak (13 goals in 12 games) came to an abrupt end and he is two games away from tying the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2014-15 season. The Vallecas Stadium devoured the French star and caused Real Madrid to lose its direction. You must know that Mbappe alone has contributed to 18 of the team's 34 goals so far.

Mbappe's goals alone accounted for 52.94% of the team's goals. This data reveals the supporting role of "Mbappe dependence" on the new project. Real Madrid suffered two consecutive games without scoring (4 of 16 games in the new season) and two losses. All this shows that if the team's No. 10 cannot step up, everything will become more complicated. For comparison, in Ronaldo's best season with Real Madrid (61 goals), he only accounted for 38.61% of the team's total goals (154 goals). The situation is similar for Messi. His 73 goals in a single season accounted for 39.46% of Barcelona's total goals (185 goals).

However, the problem is not just personal. Statistics show that Real Madrid have taken more than 20 shots in each of their past five league games. This has not happened since Pellegrini took charge in 2010, but statistics can be misleading. Among these shots, not many are truly threatening and determined. Facing Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid only had five shots on target, none of which were enough to change the score. The pattern kept repeating itself, with ineffective possession, predictable attacks, lack of mobility and an over-reliance on Vinicius to break down defences. Once again, the Brazilian was the only spark that stirred the game, but without the support of his teammates, his talent was left to stand alone against the opposition.

Alonso once turned the situation around after the national derby, but now he is facing the same problem again. The international match day will provide the team with an opportunity to breathe and reflect. There are many problems that Alonso needs to solve, the most urgent of which is to restore vitality in the frontcourt, regain tacit cooperation in the front line, and most importantly, restore the confidence that the team seemed to have two weeks ago. Because the goals will come, but Real Madrid cannot wait for them. Currently, the team is on a goal drought and without smiles, with more questions than answers.