The last time Real Madrid went three games without a goal was in January 2007 and at the end of the season Fabio Capello was sacked. Few deficiencies irk the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu more than shyness in attack and after an encouraging start under Julen Lopetegui, Madrid have drifted off course. Their 1-0 defeat by CSKA Moscow on Tuesday left them three games without a win, even if none of those were straight-forward, the previous two coming away to Sevilla and at home to Atletico Madrid. "The atmosphere in the dressing room is not good," Luka Modric said."

"When you do not score in three consecutive games, it is a bit of a worry." In terms of position, the dip has barely made a scratch, with Madrid still level on points at the top of La Liga with the equally out of form Barcelona. In the Champions League, they sit third in Group G, behind CSKA and Roma, but with a pair of games against the weakest side, Viktoria Plzen, coming up next. As they have proven in the last two seasons, group stage stumbles are easily corrected. But there is concern about the team's bluntness up front, a complaint that instantly references Cristiano Ronaldo, the decision to sell and the failure to sign an elite replacement. "Sindrome Cristiano," El Pais called it on Wednesday. Madrid have scored four fewer goals than in their first two group games than last season, coincidentally the number Ronaldo had by then.