Real Madrid are in dire need of a course correction to arrest their currently mediocre form.
According to a report in Diario AS citing work from the American predictive statistics firm FiveThirtyEight, they’re on course to finish outside the top four of La Liga.
According to the firm, Madrid are currently more likely to reach the last 16 of the Champions League (67% probability) than finish in the top four domestically (65%).
Los Blancos face Sevilla this afternoon in a game that will be crucial in turning their bad form around. The Andalusians are just a point behind Madrid with a game in hand.
If the current rhythm is continued, Atletico Madrid will finish as champion with 97 points, Real Sociedad second with 83, Villarreal third with 69 and Sevilla fourth with 68. Madrid would be fifth with 65, Barcelona sixth with 59.
Regarding FiveThirtyEight’s educated prediction, they see Madrid finishing in third place. They give Los Blancos a 21% chance of that happening, a 16% chance of finishing runner-up and a 10% chance of winning the league.
This has been Madrid’s third-worst start for 20 years. In 2001/02 they had 13 points after their first ten, while in 2018/19 (under Julen Lopetegui, the coach they face this afternoon) they had 14. Madrid finished both seasons third.
Featured image courtesy of The Telegraph.
