Sporting Gijon vs. Real Madrid: Score and Reaction from 2015 La Liga Match

Real Madrid's 2015-16 got off to a turgid start on Sunday evening after last season's La Liga runners-up ran to a 0-0 stalemate against top-flight newcomers Sporting Gijon.

Rafa Benitez's side struggled to break down their hosts at El Molinon, where a tough-tackling, gutsy performance from the promoted party secured a terrific point in their first game back among Spain's elite.

It's hardly the start Benitez would have envisioned for his first La Liga game in charge of Real, with Bleacher Report UK illustrating the response the manager's likely to receive in the wake of Sunday's bore draw:

Los Merengues dominated the shot count while limiting Sporting to just a handful of their own attempts on Keylor Navas' net, but there was no end product to be found on a frustrating night for the visitors.

Karim Benzema was a vital absentee as he missed the trip through injury, but Real Madrid TV presenter Rhiannon Jones voiced her delight to see Luka Modric once again playing his part in the starting XI:

It was perhaps to be expected that a goalless scoreline provided Sporting's best chance of clinching a result against such hefty opposition.

After all, Abelardo Fernandez's side boasted the stingiest defence in the Segunda Division last season, conceding just 27 goals in total, so it made sense to utilise that rigid structure as their best mode of attack.

Jese Rodriguez led Benitez's line in the absence of Benzema, but no matter how relentlessly Real assaulted their opponents', opening clear chances in front of Ivan Cuellar's goal proved tricky.

That wasn't for lack of trying, however, as Squawka detailed just how inaccurate Real's chances of the first period were, struggling to test Sporting's No. 1:

Gareth Bale in particular was enjoying spells in possession attacking down the left flank, but the lack of a central figure was evident despite Jese's best attempts to offer an outlet.

Goal's Ben Hayward attested to Los Blancos being sloppy around the opposition area, with Cristiano Ronaldo forced to endure a slow start to his new season:

Ronaldo perked up toward the bottom of the first period and was in disbelief to not be awarded a penalty after going down under a challenge from Sergio Alvarez, with the referee not buying his appeal.

Toni Sanabria even managed to give the home fans some belief after the Sporting striker thrashed the underside of the crossbar with an attempt that looked as though it almost crossed the line.

One might have expected some half-time encouragement would spark Real into action in the second half, but it was largely more of the same from the visiting outfit, as their pain in front of goal lingered.

Spanish newspaper AS hinted at Sporting's physicality being a factor in them being able to remain level as the foul figures started to stack up:

Fernandez would care little for exactly how his side claimed a point against the might of Real Madrid, though, and Benitez attempted to change the dynamic with a raft of substitutes.

Mateo Kovacic came on for his Real Madrid debut in place of Isco, while James Rodriguez replaced Jese in the hopes of providing some creative ingenuity up front.

Not even Benitez's vast resources could find the breakthrough necessary, however, as full-time came and went with no goal to show for their troubles, despite outshooting Sporting 27 to six, per WhoScored.com.

Real will be eager to get Benzema back in their lineup following such a miserable start to their league season, with huge pressure on their shoulders to improve when they host Real Betis on Saturday.

Post-Match Reaction

Eleven years after leaving the helm of Valencia, Benitez made his return to La Liga management on Sunday, but the 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon quickly put a dampener on his comeback.

There won't be many Real Madrid fans who feel the performance was in any up to expectations, but Benitez felt there was positives to be found in the second-half display, per Inside Spanish Football:

"

We reacted well in the second half.  We showed character and personality.  The second half showed a team that clearly came out to win the game.  We lacked that final pass and final touch. In order to get a better performance, we need more freedom to move.  We saw a lot of plays in the attack but we lacked space.

[...]

Nerves? They didn’t win their first game last season either (Real Madrid beat Cordona 2-0).  I’m happy with what I saw in the second half.  We were lacking in several areas in the first half.  I have to make adjustments.  I’m still optimistic.

"

Benitez bemoaned a lack of accuracy as being the team's greatest downfall, insisting he was aware of the threat Sporting would pose:

"We knew that it was going to be a game in which Sporting would make things difficult for us.  We had to be quick and on point.  There were a lot of shots but we lacked accuracy.  In the first half, we gave Sporting opportunity.  We must improve, we need to work harder."

The visiting manager also outlined Sporting's squad familiarity as a key component in the outcome, even though Real's own lineup hasn't changed all that drastically from the previous campaign:

"

You could tell that there are many players for Sporting who have been playing together for a long time. Their style is very clear. That’s why we saw a team that didn’t miss a beat. They have ironed out all their kinks and proved to be an intense team. Sporting played very well, they were very organised and the credit goes to them.

"