[ad_pod ]

After a whole summer of the media having a go at Real Madrid and dooming them before they could even set foot into the new 2019/20 La Liga season, it seems that Zinedine Zidane and his troops are out to prove a point.

At least, that’s one of the takeaways from last weekend’s game against Celta Vigo that ended in a pretty convincing 3-1 victory for Los Blancos. It was not really a statement game or a game that showed total domination over their opponent but it was a hard-earned victory at a tricky stadium against a well-oiled outfit.

And considering how their last campaign went and how it all looked bleak and gloomy just weeks ago, they did more than just fine. Another thing worth noting is how thin their bench currently looks like with multiple players sidelined by injuries, including their prized new signing, Eden Hazard.

But Real Madrid were still strong and they stood their ground, clinching all three points and jumping to the top of the table for the time being. This, however, does not indicate that all of their problems have magically disappeared now that the new campaign has started.

Not in the slightest, no. But if there is one thing Zidane should note going into the next game, which will be against Real Valladolid on Saturday, then that’s that he should stick to the basics for the time being.

A lot has been said about his squad not being good enough and his tactics being obsolete, but despite no shortage of criticism and question marks, it still worked.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Sure, they were not outrageously flashy and they didn't set the world alight with their innovative and incredible skills, but they did win in a rather vintage 2017 Real Madrid-esque way.

The way they set up their lineup, the way they attacked and the way they structured their overall gameplan was very much reminiscent of the Real Madrid from a couple of years back; the one that won the Champions League three times in a row and the one Zidane set up to succeed.

And maybe, in a way, that is the “secret formula” for them at the moment, and not just for the weekend but for the season ahead in general. As the saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Maybe it didn’t really work out for Santiago Solari or Julen Lopetegui but then again, they don’t really have Zidane’s pedigree and knowledge of this team.

Everyone has been very vocal about Real Madrid needing this rebirth, the resurrection and a clean slate that will magically pull them out of the gutters but that kind of a change doesn’t really happen overnight, does it?

With that in mind, maybe a slower transition could be the solution to their problems. So looking ahead to the game on Saturday, Zidane really shouldn’t tamper too much with the things that obviously still work.

Eight players out of 11 against Celta Vigo were among Real’s most used in Zidane's last season. Some will undoubtedly criticise the Frenchman for it but there is some wisdom in it as well.

A team that is still trying to find its feet should not plunge head-first into the unknown and the next game, the first one at the Santiago Bernabeu in the new season, should not be an exception either.

Zidane, and the whole team for that matter, can certainly use some familiarity and stick to the basics that they know work for sure. If that means once again fielding the same lineup or using the same tactics, then so be it.

For some, innovation might be the only way forward but for Real Madrid, it’s very much the opposite. After all, you have to master the basics in order to become better, right?

Even if the Galacticos are going through a transitional period, they will first have to learn how to walk before they can run off with all the trophies once again.

[ad_pod ]