Home record shows promise Real Madrid can close gap in LaLiga

As LaLiga approaches Matchday 15, the matches in Spain have been as unpredictable as ever and Real Madrid continue to push for better results, especially in their own backyard.

Current title holders Barcelona find themselves at the top of the table with 28 points, then Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and Alaves follow shortly after that with 27, 25 and 24 respectively. Real Madrid themselves have not had the best start to the season now holding a 7-2-5 record and currently sit in fifth place overall.

Regardless of the momentary position in the table, Madrid has had some strong performances inside the Santiago Bernabeu and must continue to maintain their form ahead of some tough fixtures if they want to move up in the table.

Going 5-1-1 at home, Real Madrid have claimed three points against Getafe, Leganes, Espanyol, Valladolid, and now Valencia. A shock 2-1 loss to Levante and 0-0 draw in the Madrid Derby are the only two matches where the team slipped up.

At a time where the team is without their starlet goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo and the intelligence from ex-manager Zinedine Zidane, the remaining players and new head coach Santaigo Solari carry the responsibility to find ways to get the team back in the top four.

There are a few players that have become very influential towards the wins on the Santiago Bernabeu pitch. The player with the most appearances at home is captain Sergio Ramos, who has not missed out on the opportunity to perform in front of local supporters and continues to push his team to the edge, fighting for every point. After the Spaniard comes Thibaut Courtois, Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio who have all played in six out of the seven home games so far and made impressive impacts as well.

Looking ahead into the schedule, Rayo Vallecano, Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Alaves will all visit Madrid in hopes of leaving with three points but team must continue to defend their home turf. It will be a competitively demanding and daunting task for the squad but if each game is approached right, it will be a turning point in the race for the title.

Bearing the results from other fixtures, home wins over all four of these teams should edge Madrid towards a higher spot on the table, especially as Sevilla and Alaves currently rank second and fourth at the moment.

By the time the games are played in January of 2019, the return of injured Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Marcelo should also boost the teams performance for the next home fixtures. Add these talents alongside the players above and Real Madrid can situate themselves higher in the table.

There is no doubt that Real Madrid has been in a rut so far this season but if the team continues to display their talent on the Santiago Bernabeu stage like they have already done, they have a real opportunity to position themselves in the top four of LaLiga.