Both Barcelona and Real Madrid went into Saturday’s El Clasico not quite knowing what to make of their start to the season.
Barca had won two of their opening four league fixtures, drawing one and losing one. Meanwhile, Real Madrid had won three of their first five matches, also drawing one and losing one.
But a win in El Clasico would turn their fairly underwhelming starts into a very good one for either side.
And it’s Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid who can claim that after they went to the Camp Nou to beat Barcelona 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Goals from Federico Valverde, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric saw them claim a well deserved three points and allowed them to forget about a disastrous week which featured defeats to Cadiz in La Liga and Shakhtar Donestk in the Champions League.
But the victory against Barcelona doesn’t change everything.
There are still plenty of concerns for Zidane and Spanish midfielder Isco is one of them.
The 28 year old was substituted at half time during Real’s shock loss to Cadiz last week and didn’t feature in either the 3-2 defeat to Shakhtar and the win against Barcelona.
In fact, he’s played just 148 minutes this season.
And now, Real fans have spotted images of Isco in training that might explain why Zidane hasn’t been too keen to play him.
The images show Isco looking rather overweight and he trains alongside Eden Hazard. Another image shows him looking on as Modric takes a shot and you can always read his mind as he looks on with admiration at the player seven years his senior.
It’s something that had Real Madrid supporters worried as they feared that one of the best midfielders in world football a few years ago has thrown it all away.
Check out the reaction on social media:
Following Real Madrid’s defeat to Cadiz last week, Zidane was asked specifically about Isco to which he replied: “We are all in the same boat and criticism makes us stronger. We know we are Madrid and there is criticism after a game like the one the other day.
"We can only get back to work. The good thing is that there is a game every three days. We deserved the criticism the other day, and me before anyone – not just the players, they fight. We want to change the dynamics. I have no doubts about anything.
"The other day was a bad day, we want to change things, Isco more than anyone, I have no doubts.”
It seems Isco has a fight to save his Real Madrid career.