Scattered notes: A new segment where I dump my notepad into an article after each game. Uncomplicated, unfiltered, unprofessional.

• Another game, another vintage Fede Valverde performance. Business as usual. He should’ve had an assist in the 88th minute after his interception and pass to Kylian Mbappe into the box. Big blocks in Zone 14; great transition defense.
• Real Madrid had difficulty escaping Brest’s press early on, but any time they did play their way through, they found tons of space to work with. But this team is still a long ways away from being consistently press-resistant enough to bait presses and get the ball to the attackers in meaningful attacking zones. That would get solved, somewhat, with better ball-playing wing-backs, and more Dani Ceballos on the field.
• Rodrygo’s line-breaking: incredible. Six completed dribbles. That moment he scored in the first half through a moment of a genius — a shoulder drop, a cut, and a far post finish — it cracked the game open. His defensive contributions were also noteworthy.
• Real Madrid’s second goal: stunning. Kylian Mbappe’s dummy not only let the ball roll through to Jude Bellingham, but he also dragged a defender with him, opening up the central lane. Bellingham carried the ball, calmly waited for the defense to shift, and then released the pass before darting into the box. Clinical.
• The game state changed around the 60th minute when Brest, down a couple of goals, had to throw players forward. Madrid’s front three finally had space to run into — though should’ve capitalized way more than they did. Mbappe missed two point-blank chances, and though got into good goal-scoring positions with some great burst of speed, most of his seven shots tonight were way off.
• Set-piece defending remains a glaring issue. Brest exposed vulnerabilities here again, despite not scoring. But this is not a unique problem. Real Madrid leave open headers during every match.
• The wing-back situation is exhausting to talk about, but here we are again. To be fair: Lucas Vazquez had two excellent crosses and an assist tonight. His attacking positioning is a key reason Ancelotti keeps rolling with him, but the defensive trade-offs remain. He struggles physically and get outmuscled on duels. On the left, Ferland Mendy continues to offer little compared to Fran Garcia, who was benched tonight.
• Luka Modric: mixed bag. Not as composed under pressure as he once was and got beaten defensively on a few occasions. Heavy touches under pressure; poor passes. But then, as always, there are still moments of genius—a perfect ball to unlock Mbappe on the break in the first half. Still, it’s clear he’s not the machine he used to be.
• Aurelien Tchouameni also had an inconsistent night. Sluggish reactions and poor giveaways led to unnecessary fouls. That said, he did have a couple noteworthy defensive moments. He still looks a step slow on several sequences.
• Brahim Diaz: quiet. Seems to thrive off the bench more when matches are shifted to more chaotic game-states. Still needs to track his defensive assignments better but had some great combination play with Modric.
• Jude Bellingham: multifunctional. Five tackles. Fantastic passing on the break and surgical through balls.
• Arda Güler’s brief cameo was encouraging.
• Three players who deserved to start but didn’t, but should because of their following traits: Dani Ceballos (press-resistant, great ball progression, active presser), Raul Asencio (solid defensively, backline leadership, composure on the ball in the build-up phase), and Fran Garcia (solid defensively this season, supports the attack). All three have been in great form, yet they watched from the bench. Ancelotti’s Gala XI is not always based on merit, but on trust — something he’s spoken about in his book. It’s a risk you run. Can Vazquez, Tchouameni, and Mendy raise their levels against the best teams?