Real Madrid’s unsung heroes are keeping them at the top of the table

When people talk about the most important players for Real Madrid, the same names often crop up: Cristiano, Bale, Benzema, James, Modric, Kroos. However this season none of those – with perhaps the exception of Benzema – can be considered worthy of being called the most important player for Los Blancos. While topping the goalscoring charts with 21 goals this season, it’s actually at the other end of the table where Madrid have really improved.

Keylor Navas endured a summer to forget due to a mixture of dodgy fax machines and incredibly poor timekeeping but he has responded to that by keeping 6 clean sheets and only conceding 3 goals in total after the opening 9 games. It’s also worth remembering that this is Navas’ first season as a starter; he spent the last campaign behind Iker Casillas. The dream of most Madridistas was to prise David De Gea away from Manchester United but, perhaps by default, they’ve actually found themselves with an even better goalkeeper.

I know some of you will be thinking, “But he has Ramos and Pepe ahead of him – he barely needs to do anything.” This couldn’t be any further from the truth. Firstly, Ramos and Pepe have both missed 4 out of those 9 league games so far. It’s actually been Varane that has stepped up to fill the void at centre back. Yet even he hasn’t been able to prevent Keylor Navas from making 25 saves, more than Barcelona pair Marc-André ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo combined (22) and only second to Valencia’s Jaume Domenech who has 26 saves to his name.

Keylor Navas is also the leader when it comes to clean sheets, having usually worked hard to earn them, accumulating 6 in his 9 league games. He’s also saved 2 penalties this season. The first, against Betis, was to preserve the clean sheet as the team were already 4-0 up at that stage. The second was even more important as he denied Griezmann from 12 yards, keeping the score at 1-0 to Real. Ultimately Atletico would grab the goal they deserved, Vietto bundling home a late equaliser.

The constant chopping and changing in defence due to injuries has made it difficult for the backline to gather any kind of rhythm. Marcelo, primarily known for the attacking threat he carries, has also upped his game defensively. You have to attribute that improvement to Rafa Benitez. Marcelo’s become a much more rounded, complete fullback these days and that allows the winger ahead of him – usually Cristiano – more freedom to stay forward. He’s averaging more tackles, interceptions and clearances compared to last season.

On the other side of defence it’s Danilo that has been preferred to Dani Carvajal, despite the former also being more renown for his attacking play. Injuries prevented him from making more than his 4 appearances so far but you can see a noted difference in how he plays for Real Madrid compared to Porto. He’s making more tackles while still finding the time and space to get forward, breaking his duck against Celta Vigo last weekend.

Injuries have also opened the door for Casemiro to stake a claim in the starting XI. He spent last season on loan at Porto where the Portuguese side made his move permanent, before Real Madrid activated a clause allowing them to re-sign him this summer for a higher fee. He started the season making late appearances from the bench but has played 90 minutes in the last 3 games after impressing against Atletico in the Madrid derby. With injuries to Bale, Benzema and James restricting attacking options Benitez has switched to a standard 4-3-3 which has meant Casemiro sitting in front of the defence allowing Modric and Kroos to pull the strings. Due to those performances he’s one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment. It’ll be interesting to see how that changes once some of the big hitters return.

Rafa Benitez has the reputation of being a defensive-minded coach but I think that’s a tad unfair. One thing is being tactically aware at the back and another is being rigid, boring and grinding out results. Real Madrid haven’t had their first choice forward line available for practically the entire season – the one game that they did, they scored 5 – but still find themselves as top scorers in the division. There’s no restriction being placed on their attacking intent, but more a refined approach to how they defend. If the likes of Marcelo, Danilo and Carvajal can improve in that aspect of their game it unshackles the attackers to do more damage further upfield. Casemiro’s inclusion in the XI also means Modric and Kroos can concentrate in unlocking the defences of tougher opposition.

The real acid test will come in the first El Clasico. Real Madrid fans will accept nothing less than a victory, especially at home. Benitez will know this already though, given the fallout after the Madrid derby when they didn’t even lose.

Some sections of the Madrid press didn’t want him in the first place so take any excuse to have a go, desperately comparing his stats to Carlos Ancelotti. Tell me again, how many league titles did Ancelotti win during his time at Real Madrid? Benitez’s tenure will be decided by winning the big games and perhaps, for the first time in a long while, the league title is more important than the Champions League to the fans. After Las Palmas they face PSG, Sevilla and Barcelona in their following three games.

Win all three and Benitez will be hailed as the Messiah. Lose one or two and he could find himself being nailed to a cross by the Spanish media. There’s a fine line to being considered a success or failure at Real Madrid but Rafa knew that from the moment he took over. The month of November is shaping up to be pinnacle in not only Real Madrid’s season but also for Rafa Benitez’s long-term future.

Welcome to Madrid, Rafa.