In less than five minutes of play at Vallecas, Real Madrid is already trailing Rayo Vallecano. They were completely outplayed in the midfield leading up to the goal, with Fran Garcia struggling on the pitch.
Real Madrid has conceded an early goal on Rayo Vallecano’s home turf. Carlo Ancelotti’s team, facing the local side, has had a mixed start, marked by several missteps and mistakes. Despite leaving Vinicius Junior and Raul Asensio on the bench, Ancelotti made some surprising tactical choices, with Fran Garcia starting on the left due to his recent strong performances and Ferland Mendy’s injury.
Fran Garcia’s worrying performance
Contrary to the defensive solidity he displayed in recent matches for Real Madrid, the 25-year-old Spanish left-back was caught off guard by Jorge de Frutos as early as the 4th minute. Charging down the left wing, the Rayo Vallecano player left Garcia disoriented before delivering an unstoppable cross to Unai Lopez, who made no mistake in finishing past Thibaut Courtois.
This moment has sparked a lot of discussion on social media. While there have been other notable mistakes early in the match, such as Arda Guler’s poor pass that nearly allowed Rayo to capitalize, or Rudiger’s missed dribble in the 20th minute that could have resulted in a penalty, Fran Garcia’s performance stands out as the most concerning for Real Madrid on this Saturday. The team is struggling from the outset, compounded by some questionable tactical choices from Ancelotti.
