Sacked in the evening: 5 matches that sealed Lopetegui's fate
Julen Lopetegui's short-lived tenure was doomed from the outset.
Dismissed by the Spanish football federation days before Lopetegui's La Roja were set to clash neighbors Portugal at the World Cup, the tactician made the move to Madrid. From the jump, it would prove to be an ill-fated appointment.
If only he knew how to say "No."
On Monday, Real Madrid sacked Lopetegui after just 14 matches in charge - six fewer than with Spain - and if anything, Los Blancos' first match with the manager at the helm was the beginning of the end. Real slumped to a 4-2 UEFA Super Cup defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid where Lopetegui's substitutions and style of play came into question. Two-and-a-half months later, the 52-year-old has been fired from a pair of dream hirings in a four-month window.
Related: Real Madrid sack Lopetegui after humiliating Barcelona loss
Here's a look at five matches following the Super Cup result that sealed Lopetegui's fate:
Sevilla 3-0 Real Madrid (La Liga - Sept. 26)
It was never going to be easy kicking off the post-Cristiano Ronaldo years, especially when Florentino Perez and Co. failed to replace the Portuguese international's 44 goals in all competitions.
Deficiencies in the attack were highlighted in a defeat at Sevilla, where Real was kept off the scoresheet for the first time all season thanks to some poor shooting returns. Lopetegui's charges managed 21 shots to Sevilla's 16, but hit the target on just three occasions. Andre Silva scored twice inside the opening 21 minutes for the host, while Gareth Bale looked like the only Real player capable of bulging the bag. Spanish outlet Marca called the display "... by far Real's poorest effort of the season." Apparently, Lopetegui took that as a challenge.
CSKA Moscow 1-0 Real Madrid (UCL - Oct. 2)
Days after a drab stalemate against Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu where both domestic giants packed the punch of a dewy pool noodle, Real traveled to Moscow to contest a tournament that they've dominated of late.
Spoiler alert: it didn't go to plan, and again, Lopetegui's attack was dire, managing an astounding 26 efforts to CSKA Moscow's eight - though only four challenged Igor Akinfeev's net. Considering the Russia No. 1 set an unenviable record of 43 Champions League matches on the spin sans clean sheet, Real had no excuses for a misfiring front-three of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, and Lucas Vazquez. "We need to create scoring chances. I’m sure that sooner or later we will start scoring," Lopetegui offered post-match, gazing at a defective crystal ball.
Alaves 1-0 Real Madrid (La Liga - Oct. 6)
Content to continue a poor string of results, Real returned from the Russian capital to face an Alaves side in a fixture that would have heavily favored Los Blancos when the schedule was first drafted.
Not so much as the hosts were the better team in the slim victory where on-loan Manu Garcia's added-time winner was the difference. Garcia's goal should have been Alaves' second after Jony missed a sitter on the break. It was the fourth match in a row in all where Real failed to score, and the first time Alaves beat Los Blancos in the league since 1931. Six hours and 49 minutes without a goal was a streak that would begin to define Lopetegui's stay. "I suppose there is more of a team, more working as one unit rather than one player," Bale said about Ronaldo's departure. Sure thing, Gareth.
Real Madrid 1-2 Levante (La Liga - Oct. 23)
Even with the defeat in Basque country against Alaves, Real finished the day atop the table ahead of fixtures for idle Barcelona, Sevilla, and Atletico before welcoming Levante to the Bernabeu days later.
Make that four losses in five for Lopetegui's troops as goals from Jose Luis Morales and Roger Marti inside of the opening quarter of an hour, with World Cup hero Raphael Varane uncharacteristically at fault for both Levante goals. If silver linings at the bottom of rubbish heaps are your thing, Mariano's second-half goal ended a run of 482 minutes without scoring. "I feel more encouraged than ever to continue because the team gave their heart and soul on the pitch," the gaffer admitted after the 2-1 home defeat. "Sooner or later we will come out of this." Julen, I've got some bad news for you.
Barcelona 5-1 Real Madrid (La Liga - Oct. 28)
Defeat in El Clasico to rivals Barcelona was always going to be the straw that broke the Florentino Perez's back, and the Catalan colossus was happy to leave nothing to doubt for the familiar foe spiralling out of control.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, and even with a two-goal deficit at the interval, the match was there for the taking for Real. Lopetegui's lot were awful in the opening 45 minutes, and while they showed resolve after the break, it wasn't enough. For all of the manager's laments about his team's injury concerns, Barcelona destroyed the 13-time European Cup winners while Lionel Messi watched on with his right arm in a sling. "I’m sad, it’s a tough blow but I have strength to continue and the belief that things will improve," a noticeably crestfallen Lopetegui conceded.
Unfortunately for Lopetegui, he won't get that chance.