Are Real Madrid regressing or growing after UWCL failure?

A glance at the Spanish Liga F standings tells a familiar story: Eight-time champions Barcelona reign supreme and the rest of the league is behind. But the Catalan club's closest rivals, a young Real Madrid team trying to establish themselves as Spain's second team, have failed to meet expectations this season: nine points behind in the league, eliminated from the Copa de la Reina in the quarter-finals, and an ignominious exit from the UEFA Women's Champions League in the group stage.

Competing only under the name “Real Madrid Femenino” since the summer of 2020, after a single-season merger with CD TACON — an independent club from the capital which achieved promotion to the elite for the 2019 season- 20 — there would be no shame in preaching patience… especially against a Barcelona team that has won 16 out of 16 games in Liga F so far.

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But the badge and name 'Real Madrid' comes with added pressure. The project in Madrid saw the club exit while still operating at TACON, adding established stars like Swedish duo Kosovare Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson as well as Champions League winners Aurélie Kaci and Babett Peter for their first season of Liga F as a club. attempted to accelerate their success, with mixed results.

In its first two years in Liga F, Real Madrid finished second with 74 points (23 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses), then third with 60 points in 30 matches (19 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses); last season they finished second with 75 (24 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses). The Copa de la Reina's runs to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final suggest winning the title this year might be the natural progression, but rivals Atlético Madrid knocked them out as things collapsed after a dismal European effort.

The argument from head coach Alberto Toril (who took over from David Aznar after a poor run of results in 2021) is that the team is young and still learning. Yet even accounting for player turnover that saw all but six (Misa, Olga Carmona, Kenti Robles, Ivana, Teresa Abelleira and Maite Oroz) leave their 23-man 2020-21 roster, the team is experienced , with most of the senior players having World Cup experience and now having three years' experience in Europe's biggest club competition. With the exception of offensive reinforcements Esther González and Nahikari García, who both signed for the 2021-22 season but are already playing elsewhere (Gotham FC and Athletic Club respectively), there has been greater continuity among the players since the Toril's arrival, with Real adding more talent each season.

During their first season in the Champions League, Las Blancas secured a dream draw, taking on Ukrainian champions Zhytlobud Kharkiv, Iceland's Breidablik and French giants Paris Saint-Germain – qualifying before meeting Barcelona in the quarter-finals. In their second, the group was trickier, with Chelsea and PSG alongside Albanian Vllaznia Shkodër, and they were eliminated.

But after Madrid's defeat to Chelsea that year, Toril spoke about the small gap between them and Emma Hayes' Blues. He insisted that he was happy with the team's performance and results. So when they found themselves in the group stage again this season, the consensus was that it would provide insight into how far Madrid have come. Still, it was their worst group stage so far.

Toril's side picked up just one point, thanks to some questionable decisions by officials at home to Chelsea on matchday one, before a succession of defeats against French club Paris FC, the championship finalists Swedish Häcken and Chelsea do not condemn them even before the arrival of 2024.

“The match was balanced,” Toril told ESPN after the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on matchday five, with Madrid already eliminated. “We managed to limit a great team that has great players. I am happy with the performance of my players even if the result was not positive. Sometimes you take something positive from defeat.

“In recent months we have had a lot of injury problems. This has conditioned us at this crucial stage of the season and we have not been able to show our best level. It is a learning curve. We must continue to grow. I think this type of match helps us. We have a young team, young players who need to experience matches like this. It's a shame because we had the opportunity to qualify but this Wasn't. Sometimes the season doesn't go the way you hoped.

Las Blancas There have indeed been players coming in and out of the team this season and it has cost them some momentum. The biggest blow was the loss of midfielder Caroline Weir – the 2022-23 player of the season – as her absence highlighted how well she carried the team last season and how much glue is missing again to make this Madrid team a harmonious team. one, rather than just a collection of talented pieces.

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But the distance between Real Madrid and Barcelona or Chelsea is greater than his coach thinks.

“I have been at this club for many years, I know what it is, we are growing,” Toril added. We are a historic club with many titles, but in terms of women's football we have only been competing for a few years: every year is better, we are building important things. You always have the pressure to win at this club but “I am able to handle this pressure. We are calm, we help players grow and improve. I'm sure we will have new opportunities next season.”

Finishing second or third in Liga F behind perennial champions Barcelona will result in another season of Champions League football next year, but the cycle will only reset. Even with talented players on the pitch, it is clear that Madrid football is missing something.

Las Blancas has suffered only three defeats in the league this season [including a 5-0 loss to Barcelona]but the wins haven't always been convincing – like when they hosted Villareal in October and needed a 90th-minute winner from Signe Bruun, or during the stoppage-time madness during of their last meeting against Madrid CFF where the three goals of the match were scored. A 2-1 victory was achieved in stoppage time.

Ahead of Wednesday Derby against Atlético, Real Madrid are two points ahead of third-placed Levante. The club's ability to attract top talent and qualify for Europe is enough to keep it half a step ahead of most of its league rivals for now, but the bigger picture remains blurry.

No one expects them to rival Barcelona straight away, but questions arise for a team and manager who are starting to feel the pressure now that expectations are rising. If Madrid continue to show signs of regression under Toril's leadership, something will have to change.