Real Madrid were held to a 2–2 draw by Atletico Madrid, and the post-match coverage criticized them.
AS believed that Real Madrid's trip to the Middle East had left the team looking extremely fatigued. This could be seen from the players' running distances. Whether against Valencia or Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid had covered considerably less ground than their opponents, something that had been difficult to imagine in the past.
AS editor-in-chief Alfredo wrote in his column that after Real Madrid suffered back-to-back defeats early in the season, Yang Yang's return quickly sparked a peak in their form. They put together an astonishing run of twenty-two straight victories. But after the FIFA Club World Cup, the team entered a downward spiral, as if it had completely changed overnight.
"Real Madrid lost 2–4 to AC Milan in the Dubai friendly. Ancelotti said the team had not given its all, especially since several key players had not played. Then they lost 1–2 away to Valencia, and Ancelotti still used that as an excuse. But now, away against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid fielded all their key players, yet their performance remained poor."
Alfredo stated that if not for Yang Yang's individual brilliance, Real Madrid would have found it difficult to escape Calderon Stadium unscathed.
In addition, AS published a special report that used statistics to point out the problems Real Madrid were currently facing.
In the away match against Valencia, Real Madrid's total running distance was only ninety-eight kilometers, making it their shortest distance of the season. Their opponents, Valencia, covered one hundred and seven kilometers—nine more than Real Madrid. In other words, Valencia had effectively had an extra player.
And in this match against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid's running distance was still inferior to their opponents', making everyone realize that the team's current