Three questions and three answers from Real Betis 1-1 Real Madrid

Three answers

**1. How many players would turn their focus to the World Cup?** With Real Madrid’s season effectively over and Los Blancos now only waiting for it to be mathematically certain that they can’t catch Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table, several players could be forgiven for turning their attentions to the task at hand this summer with the World Cup on the horizon. Given that there has only been a very short rest period between last season, the Club World Cup, and this season, many players are crying out for a rest. With Arda Güler ruled out for the rest of the season and Aurélien Tchouameni absent with a strain, this may be the first sign of players who aren’t willing to take the same risks that they might do for decisive knock-out fixtures or in a neck-and-neck title race. Equally, for others, there’s a point to prove. At right-back, for example, both and have work to do to impress Thomas Tuchel and Luis de la Fuente. Time is running out for some players to make sure they are on the plane to the United States, and , and that means playing it safe for some, and proving a point for others. **2. How long would this terrible defensive record continue?** Coming into this game having conceded in the last eight consecutive matches, it was the longest streak of matches without any clean sheets since 2004. That 22-year period had not seen the team go eight games, and the concern was clearly the risk of extending it to nine games, and potentially matching the 2004 run of 10 games under Carlos Quieroz. For so long it looked as though Real Madrid would produce the first clean sheet since March 11th against . It was not for want of trying from Real Betis, who registered 19 shots, making it five consecutive games to concede a double-digit number of attempts, and only found the breakthrough with the last of them all. That result means that Real Madrid need Barcelona to concede at least once to maintain their record of best overall defence in La Liga, with 31 goals conceded in 33 games now, compared to Barcelona’s 30 in 32. **3. Would youth players get more of a look in?** The most intriguing moment of Álvaro Arbeloa’s pre-match press conference related to the topic of young players. Asked if he’d been told not to involve so many after none of his regular youngsters featured against , a dejected Arbeloa said more with his face and a moment of silence before answering than he did with his words. In Seville, he went back to his principles, primarily by recalling Thiago Pitarch in midfield but also by bringing the likes of and Manuel Ángel to the bench. Ángel was a late substitute and even got minutes, only his second appearance in the last seven matches, as Arbeloa appeared to be sharing the game time late on with also getting his share. If Arbeloa is going to lose his job, he’s made it clear that he’ll be doing it on his own terms.