Feel-good factor returning to Real Madrid and other key questions facing Zinedine Zidane's side ahead of Espanyol visit

Andy West 20:11 26/02/2018
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  • Positivity is flowing back into the Real Madrid squad after a difficult period.

    Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is not letting Espanyol’s lowly league placing fool him into thinking Tuesday’s clash will be a stroll in the park for his rejuvenated side.

    Madrid head to the RCDE Stadium looking to build on a seven-match unbeaten run in La Liga which has seen them pick up six victories and score 30 goals.

    Here’s a look at three talking points ahead of the encounter.

    Feel-good factor returning to Madrid?

    Madrid has hit a purple patch of late.

    After a hugely disappointing first six months of the season, perhaps the second half of Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with PSG will prove to be a much-needed turning point for Zinedine Zidane’s men.

    Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty equaliser in that high-powered Bernabeu meeting, Los Blancos have scored 14 goals in three-and-a-half games, enough to gain vital victories over PSG in that Champions League tussle and three straight league triumphs over Real Betis, Leganes and Alaves.

    The convincing manner of Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing of Alaves, in particular, suggested that the dark days of winter are being left behind. Zidane’s team could be emerging into a bright new spring with the idea of retaining the Champions League crown suddenly becoming a much more realistic proposition.

    There’s a very long way to go, of course, but this weekend’s game displayed a sense of confidence running throughout the team which has been absent for a long time, and another convincing win over lowly Espanyol would certainly strengthen the growing suspicion that Real are back in business before they head to Paris for the crucial second leg.

    Vazquez becoming undroppable for Zidane?

    Vazquez's form has given Zinedine Zidane something to think about.

    With the headlines being dominated by Gareth Bale’s future at the club, the rise of Marco Asensio and the decidedly mixed form of Karim Benzema, one man has been left almost forgotten: Lucas Vazquez.

    The 26 year-old youth team graduate has never been a regular starter during his three years in the senior squad, only starting around one in four games – mostly against lightweight opposition – and generally having to content himself with brief outings from the bench when other players higher up the food chain needed a rest.

    But the hard-working winger has been given a far more prominent role in recent weeks, starting the last four league games and responding with goals against Real Sociedad and Leganes along with a neat assist for Casemiro in the latter and another smart set-up for Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday.

    With Toni Kroos and Luka Modric both injured, Vazquez has made the most of the vacancies in midfield to suggest that he should now be considered on equal terms with the likes of Bale and Asensio – and he will certainly feel at home on Tuesday night after enjoying an excellent season on loan with Espanyol in 2014/15.

    If he plays well again, Zidane will be hard pushed to omit him from the all-important clash with PSG. But with Asensio, Bale and Isco also pushing for a starting place, the French coach is not lacking options from wide positions in the new-look 4-4-2 formation he has adopted in the last few games.

    Are Espanyol sliding towards basement battle?

    Quique Sanchez Flores' men are coming under increasing pressure.

    It has been a frustrating season for Tuesday’s hosts Espanyol, who entered the campaign with plenty of positivity after the arrival of new owners from China and promises of heavy investment. But the new funds haven’t quite materialised and manager Quique Sanchez Flores has at times come under pressure from fans after leading his team through a decidedly underwhelming season, with a lack of creativity hampering the ability of excellent striker Gerard Moreno to reach his full potential.

    Espanyol’s recent form has been neither one thing nor the other, with a run of four successive draws keeping them away from immediate relegation danger but without much room for comfort.

    One of those draws came against cross-city rivals Barcelona, whose fans will not be holding their breath in the hope that Espanyol pull out a similar performance against Real – the two clubs have a historically close relationship (hence deals like Vazquez’s loan move), with Espanyol disparagingly nicknamed ‘Real Madrid B’ by many Barca fans.

    But considering their current position it would be tough to suggest that Espanyol might ‘take it easy’, and the home team’s attempts to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three should give Zidane’s men an uncomfortable night – especially if they can feed Moreno.

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