For all Barcelona's praise last season, it is worth remembering that Real Madrid only finished two points shy of the Catalan outfit in the La Liga table.
A total of 30 wins, four draws and four defeats were enough for Barcelona to post 94 points and ultimately reclaim the trophy from Atletico Madrid, but what was considered by some as a disappointing season for Real Madrid, saw them finish on 92 points, just two behind the winners.
Real Madrid also scored eight more league goals than Barcelona, but it was defensively that they struggled to match the Catalan outfit. With that in mind, it is perhaps not too surprising that Rafael Benitez has been brought in to tighten up the back four.
Barcelona are seen as the favourites to win the trophy once again, but Real Madrid certainly have the capabilities to beat Luis Enrique's side to the title, no matters how difficult it seems.
Cristiano Ronaldo will surely once again lead the team in terms of goals, but there are points just beneath the surface that must be addressed.
Here, Sports Mole has picked out five tasks for Benitez in the new campaign if Los Blancos are to win their first La Liga title since the 2011-12 season.
© Getty Images
1. Defensive improvement
This one is obvious. As touched upon, Real Madrid scored eight more league goals than Barcelona last season, but they conceded 17 more down the other end. In fact, Atletico Madrid, Valencia and also Villarreal had better defensive records than Carlo Ancelotti's team last season.
Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, only conceded three more times than Real Madrid in the league, which is incredible when considering that the Basque outfit finished down in seventh position and had some poor results in the first half of the season. Real Madrid will always score goals, but it is defensively where titles are won and lost, as Atletico Madrid can vouch for in 2013-14.
For all Benitez's critics, he is a fine tactician. It is always dangerous to take pre-season form as a marker, but since the Spaniard took charge, Real Madrid have only conceded twice in six games and one of those was a penalty. They have faced Roma, Manchester City, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich this summer and looked strong defensively in all of them.
Sergio Ramos now looks certain to remain at the Bernabeu, but it could be Raphael Varane that edges out Pepe for the second centre-back position. Danilo will then battle Dani Carvajal at right-back, with Marcelo taking the left-back position. Benitez must find the balance between attacking football and a solid defence and if he can do that, Real Madrid are in for a successful season.
2. Find Gareth Bale's best position
There is no question that Gareth Bale enjoyed a wonderful first season at the Bernabeu – hitting 22 goals in 44 games and helping his team win the Champions League and Copa del Rey by scoring in both finals. He also netted 15 times in 27 league games, but despite a similar return of 17 goals last season, his performances were short of what were expected of the Welshman.
Talk of Manchester United prising the attacker from Spain will not go away, but it seems certain that the 26-year-old will remain at the Bernabeu this summer. Benitez has said as much and the Spaniard has somewhat surprisingly used Bale in a number 10 position during pre-season.
Aside from a goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the Audi Cup, Bale's pre-season form has been underwhelming. With Ronaldo playing to the left and sometimes central, Bale must find his own way in the team. On the right last season, it just did not seem to work for a player that thrived through the middle during the latter stages of his time at Tottenham Hotspur.
Under a lot of criticism, Bale's immense talent has almost been forgotten. If Benitez can find Bale's best position, which could still be in tandem as a front two with Ronaldo, then success will surely arrive. Finding that position will also impact on the likes of Karim Benzema and Isco, but Bale certainly seems key to Benitez's plans for the new campaign.
3. Sign David de Gea from Manchester United
There are some that believe Iker Casillas should still be at Real Madrid, but with the Spaniard's performances continually called into question, it was the right time for the stopper to seek pastures new.
As it stands, Kiko Casilla and Keylor Navas will battle for the gloves in the new campaign and while both are very good goalkeepers, to win championships, you must have the best. Step forward David de Gea, who is pining for a return to Spain this summer.
Casilla, who was a youth-team player at Real Madrid, returned to the Bernabeu this summer to provide competition for Navas, whose own ability is impressive. However, it would be fair to say that neither are quite at the top of their profession. When De Gea arrived at Manchester United from Atletico Madrid in 2011, he looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
The Spaniard's raw talent was undeniable, however, and he has since emerged into one of the finest stoppers in world football. Last term, there was not a better goalkeeper in the Premier League. The stand-off between the two clubs shows no signs of ending as things stand, but if Real Madrid can persuade Manchester United to sell, it will be a massive signing for Los Blancos.
© Getty Images
4. Find common ground with the supporters
As Casillas will know, the Real Madrid supporters are a fairly unforgiving bunch. Bale is another that has had problems with the fans during his time in Spain, but Ancelotti did share a good relationship with the Real faithful during his reign. Having the locals on-side is always important in football, but perhaps more so at Los Blancos such is the pressure of the demands.
This is where Benitez will need to get his balance right. Defensive improvement is obviously needed, but that must not harm Real Madrid's attacking style, which the supporters have become accustomed. As Jose Mourinho knows fully well, winning football matches at Real Madrid is not enough; the supporters want to see goals, excitement and a team that is always on the front foot.
It certainly helps that Benitez has had plenty of experience managing in Spain, while the fact that he knows La Liga football inside-out can only be of benefit. The Premier League and Serie A are two very different leagues in terms of style, La Liga needs a more careful approach. Winning the so-called smaller games is expected, winning the bigger matches is needed.
The fact that Ancelotti could not seem to get the better of Atletico Madrid last season did not go down well with the supporters, while defeats earlier in the season were also put down to bad management in terms of balance. Benitez would be more than happy to won all 38 league games 1-0, but he must not compromise the ethos of the club, or he will not last long.
5. Make full use of the options available
Perhaps one of Ancelotti's biggest downfalls last season was his seemingly unwillingness to divert from the 'BBC' in attack. The Italian even said as much, with Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema all playing when they were fit, regardless of the type of match or perhaps different qualities that were needed.
Jese Rodriguez has had his injury problems over the last couple of seasons, but the Spaniard now looks ready to play a key role in the new campaign. Benitez will know that and must recognise where Jese's pace and quick movements would be more successful than Benzema's obvious goal-threat.
Further back, finding a role for Isco is going to be fascinating. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric will both expect to start, but then there is the returning Casemiro to consider. The best teams always have a settled XI, but being able to adapt to each game will be key in the new season, especially with European and cup football to balance. After all, it is a squad game these days.
The supremely-talented James Rodriguez, who has a couple of goals in pre-season, has also not yet been mentioned. There are certain starters in this Real Madrid team and surely now the Colombian must be one of them. Just how Benitez balances all of his available options will be key this term.
Real Madrid strongest XI: Casilla/De Gea; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric, Isco; Bale, Ronaldo, James
© Getty Images
Matt Law
