Real Madrid 4-1 Rayo Vallecano Postgame Reaction

The Real Deal: A Real Madrid Podcast

Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1 in a game that looked comfortable on the scoreboard, but still exposed several of the questions hanging over José Mourinho’s team. Siddharth Ramsundar and Loconte break down Madrid’s dominant first half, Bernardo Silva’s influence on buildup and control, Vinícius Jr.’s simpler approach, Jude Bellingham’s two-way dominance, and another productive game from Kylian Mbappé. The second half told a different story. Madrid struggled after Fede Valverde came off, Camavinga failed to settle the midfield, Rayo started finding space, and Mourinho once again waited before making the change that helped restore control. Arda Güler’s arrival immediately changed the game. Also discussed: Yan Diomande’s first start, Madrid’s extremely left-sided buildup, the Dumfries vs. Trent Alexander-Arnold question, Mourinho’s substitutions, possible rotations against Elche, and what this performance tells us before the Madrid derby. Become a member for bonus episodes, mailbags and extended Real Madrid analysis on YouTube, Spotify or Substack. Timestamps: 01:00 Real Madrid make Rayo look easy 02:20 Bernardo Silva gives Madrid control 03:27 First-half dominance by the numbers 04:35 Vinícius simplifies his game 06:25 Madrid’s one-two passing and Mbappé 08:18 Camavinga enters and Madrid lose control 10:33 Mbappé still looks rusty, but keeps scoring 11:35 Yan Diomande’s first start 15:18 Arda Güler restores Madrid’s midfield hub 16:00 Dumfries vs. Trent Alexander-Arnold 18:40 Jude Bellingham’s two-way dominance 23:05 Madrid’s chance creation and Mourinho’s game model 25:45 Why Bellingham was our MVP 27:06 Madrid’s extreme left-sided buildup 30:35 Why Arda Güler didn’t start 31:54 Elche rotations and the Madrid derby 36:00 Mourinho’s substitution problem 39:40 Has Madrid actually improved? 43:03 How optimistic should Madrid fans be? 45:25 What is happening with Trent? 47:49 Where is Mbappé’s ceiling? 50:16 Mbappé’s dribbling, passing and finishing 54:37 What…