Real Madrid may have secured a 2-0 win over Espanyol, but the result barely hides the growing tension inside the squad.
On paper, it was a routine victory. In reality, it avoided what could have been a humiliating scenario.
Had Madrid dropped points, Barcelona would have been crowned La Liga champions immediately.
That would have forced Los Blancos into the uncomfortable position of giving their biggest rivals a guard of honour in the upcoming El Clasico.
The win delayed that possibility, but it did little to calm the storm building behind the scenes.
What’s the story?
One of the biggest talking points from the game was Alvaro Arbeloa’s decision to start Ferland Mendy.
It was a strong call given the defender’s fitness record, and it backfired almost immediately. Mendy was forced off early in the first half, continuing his frustrating run with injuries this season.
What followed raised even more questions. The expected replacement seemed obvious to many, with Alvaro Carreras widely seen as the natural option.
Instead, Arbeloa turned to Fran Garcia, leaving Carreras on the bench. That decision did not go unnoticed.
Carreras, who has endured an inconsistent season, is clearly not in a comfortable place right now.
Once seen as a reliable starter and one of the few signings delivering on expectations, his role has sharply declined.
Simply put, he has featured in just four of the last 12 matches, and the shift in his status has been difficult to ignore.
The boiling point
The situation reached a boiling point at the RCDE Stadium. After Mendy’s early exit, Arbeloa’s choice to overlook Carreras sparked a visible reaction.
Cameras caught the full-back laughing at the substitution, a moment that quickly spread and did not sit well with supporters.
For many, it showed a lack of unity at a time when the team needed it most.
This incident comes shortly after another sign of internal frustration, when Dani Carvajal publicly criticised Trent Alexander-Arnold for not tracking back during a counter-attack.
