By Toby Prince
Rafael Benitez’s appointment as Real Madrid boss earlier in the summer hardly set pulses racing at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, the Spaniard appears to have found a style and system which not only suits the players at his disposal, but also highlights his credentials as a long-term fixture at the club.
Interestingly, as per Spanish magazine AS, Benitez’s stats show he is already outperforming both Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho in the Madrid hot seat.
By this many games in to the La Liga season, Mourinho had already drawn two games after his move from Serie A giants Inter Milan.
Meanwhile Ancelotti had recorded the same La Liga record that Benitez currently holds of being undefeated but having drawn one game.
Yet Benitez’s Madrid team have found the opponent’s net far more frequently than both of his predecessors after six games.
Real have already scored 18 goals so far this season, with Cristiano Ronaldo receiving special attention as he surpassed club legend Raul as the club’s leading goalscorer in the history of La Liga.
But it’s not just at the top of the pitch where Benitez has improved the team, as Los Blancos have settled into a rhythm defensively as well.
Impressively, Benitez’s team have only conceded once so far during his reign, bettering Ancelotti’s record of having scored 18 but having let six goals in.
Mourinho on the other hand was already being questioned by the supporters after his side had bagged just eight goals and conceded one – many believed his philosophy was too defensive to ever work at the Bernabeu.
However, time will tell if the former Liverpool boss will prove a long-term success and manage to equal the trophy haul of his predecessors.
The Special One lifted the Copa del Rey during his first season in Spain, while Ancelotti managed the double of the League Cup and the Champions League during his debut campaign.
