5 Real Madrid Weaknesses Other Teams Can Expose in 2014/15 Season

Real Madrid's victory against Razgrad Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Wednesday night extended their winning streak to five games.

Given the incomings and outgoings, it's becoming apparent that Carlo Ancelotti is at last starting to get the best out of a squad that underwent a handful of changes after winning the Champions League in May.

However, weaknesses do still exist, and they have already been exploited by Atletico Madrid on two occasions this season.

Here are five which other teams can look to expose when they meet Los Blancos in the coming months. 

Conceding Chances

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The more chances you give up, the more goals you are likely to concede. Real Madrid have been allowing their opponents too many openings so far this season.

Ruben Jimenez wrote in Marca that they have leaked 73 shots in their six La Liga games so far this season. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have only received 51 and 39 shots on their goals respectively, which is significantly less than Los Blancos.

In particular, Marca have criticised the club for conceding from set pieces.

They went behind against Razgrad Ludogorets to a goal from a corner on Wednesday night, while they were damaged from similar situations by Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid.

Speaking after the 2-1 win over Ludogorets, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed his side are "still working on not conceding goals from set pieces," per Marca. 

Goalkeeper Situation

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Iker Casillas appears to be Carlo Ancelotti's preferred goalkeeper for the time being.

The Spain international has started all but one of Real Madrid's matches this season, with Keylor Navas only getting the nod in the recent win over Elche at the Bernabeu.

However, there doesn't seem to be any closure on the goalkeeping situation.

In a recent press conference, Ancelotti was asked five questions about his stoppers. The Italian refused to elaborate on how he will, or won't, rotate the two.

Last season, things were much clearer: Diego Lopez played in the league and Casillas played in the cup competitions.

With Casillas constantly in the public eye and any slight wobble criticised, Madrid's rivals will do well to put him under as much pressure as possible. 

Midfield Balance

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It took plenty of tinkering throughout last season for Carlo Ancelotti to eventually find the recipe which delivered the Champions League—especially in midfield.

Unfortunately, it feels like he has to start from scratch in that area again.

The departure of Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria stripped the Italian of two of his favoured midfielders, while Sami Khedira's injury leaves him short.

Luka Modric and Toni Kroos seem to be the preferred men to play in the deeper roles in a midfield three at the moment, but Asier Illarramendi, who has been compared to Alosno in the past, offers more defensive protection.

However, it is clear Ancelotti isn't ready to completely put his faith in the former Real Sociedad man just yet—although he did start alongside Modric in Bulgaria on Wednesday night.

Fortunately, if you were to back one man to find the required balance, it would be Ancelotti.

Against Elche, he experimented with a 4-4-2 formation, although 4-3-3 still seems to be his preference. 

Benzema Back Up

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Javier Hernandez was handed his first start for Real Madrid against Razgrad Ludogorets in the Champions League this week, but he failed to impress.

The on-loan Manchester United striker missed one particularly good chance before his replacement, Karim Benzema, scored the winner.

Often criticised and regularly underappreciated by the Madrid fans, Benzema is a stronger component in Carlo Ancelotti's system than many give him credit for.

He may have only scored three goals in 10 appearances this season, but his role is important when it comes to getting the best out of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

Hernandez may be dangerous as a substitute—he scored twice off the bench against Deportivo La Coruna—but his all-round play is not at the same standard as Benzema's. 

Ronaldo Dependence

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The word dependence is probably too strong, as Real Madrid have several match-winners.

However, if they lost Cristiano Ronaldo, or if he goes missing during a game, they would be more likely to suffer.

The same goes for any team who boast a player that scores so many goals.

Ronaldo has already hit the back of the net 12 times this season in just seven games, a total that is likely to continue rising at a rapid rate.

In theory, if you take him out of the team, Madrid are still devastatingly good. However, in practice, they were beaten by Real Sociedad when he was missing earlier this term.

He seems fit now, but he has been struggling with injuries recently—a prolonged absence may not prove fatal for Carlo Ancelotti's side, but it would be significant.