Real Madrid were beaten on the road for the first time this season losing 3-2 to an 8th-placed Rayo Vallecano side. The defeat was unexpected given the gap between the two teams.
Carlo Ancelotti set up his team in a 4-3-3 formation. The big miss was Toni Kroos who was suspended and Karim Benzema who still isn't fit to compete.
The warning signs were there from the beginning, Madrid were struggling to defend down the flanks with Mendy and Carvajal frequently losing their positions.
Carvajal seemed to be playing to avoid an injury with a World Cup berth at stake. Perhaps that's why he lost possession 14 times and made just one tackle in the game. That doesn't include giving away a penalty for an avoidable handball.
Five minutes into the game Mendy couldn't track his man. With a diagonal ball from Fran Garcia, Santi Comesana found acres of space in Madrid's box - the outcome was inevitable.
How in the world was Comesana left alone here?
Another question mark is Aurenlien Tchouameni. The Frenchman had a bad game and was often out of position. Rayo's first goal also came because he couldn't provide enough cover for the defence - his primary job at Real Madrid.
Madrid were also weak in front of Rayo’s goal. Los Blancos had 16 shots in the game but only 2 were on target - including Luka Modric's penalty.
Vinicius was poor on the night as he was playing to the gallery but Rodrygo was even worse. He lacked sharpness and was guilty of missing Madrid's best chances. More often than not he ballooned his shot into the stands.
This lineup highlights Madrid's weaklinks against Rayo:
