Carlo Ancelotti is thinking about changing Real Madrid’s tactics in big matches after Barcelona’s loss
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti seriously reconsidered his tactics for big matches after his team’s 5-2 defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona.
Real Madrid started that match with four attack-minded players in Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jody Bellingham, but Ancelotti and his staff are considering changing that to find more balance against demanding opponents.
They took a 1-0 lead over Barcelona through Mbappe’s fifth-minute goal, but conceded four times in the first half and again in the 48th minute to complete a historic defeat – this was the first time Real Madrid had conceded four times in two consecutive Clásicos. After the Clásico match. 4-0 La Liga defeat to Barcelona at the Bernabeu in October.
Real Madrid suffered devastating defeats in other major matches this season, including against Milan and Liverpool in the Champions League and away to Bilbao Athletic Club in the Spanish League.
The idea of not playing with four strikers is a strong solution that Ancelotti and his staff came up with as they contemplated the Super Cup loss to Barcelona. As usually happens on a weekly basis, they will also hold talks with the Board of Directors to review the situation.
Real Madrid had not lost in eight matches before Sunday’s loss, but Ancelotti wants to change his plan. The club’s idea was to field a star-studded attacking line, but the team was unable to find the right balance between defense and attack in key matches.
It remains to be seen which of the four attacking players will sit on the bench. Everything indicates that Rodrigo will be the most likely to be released, although the 24-year-old Brazilian striker is highly regarded by Ancelotti for his defensive work rate.
(Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Not playing with four strikers will result in Madrid using a 4-4-2 formation. This will see Federico Valverde return to the right wing and Bellingham to the left – which will require major sacrifices from the Uruguay and England internationals.
Academy graduate Raul Asensio is expected to gain more fame in the coming weeks. Voices within the club – who, like everyone cited in this article, have requested anonymity to protect relationships – say it would have been difficult for the 21-year-old to start against Barcelona given the team’s impressive recent form.
The coaching staff did not see the need to include Asensio in place of Lucas Vázquez at right-back or Aurélien Chouamini at centre-back in the Super Cup final as they kept a clean sheet in the semi-final against Real Mallorca. But Asensio’s performances are now expected to be rewarded, with Antonio Rudiger still having persistent knee problems.
Sources at Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground say they are aware of the increasing criticism Vazquez and Chouamini have received since the Clásico defeat. There is no natural support for the 33-year-old Vazquez as he covers for Dani Carvajal’s injury and the coaching staff have stressed the need for reinforcements – with Real Madrid trying to sign Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold this month.
Coaching staff sources say the criticism directed at Tshwamini is understandable, but they say he played well in an unfamiliar position at centre-back this year and last.
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What happened to Madrid in El Clásico?
Analysis by Anantajith Raghuraman
Real Madrid boast four of the best attacking talents in the world, but there are still doubts about how well they work together, especially after successive heavy defeats to Barcelona.
In both games, their lack of pressing from forward created problems. They followed a similar approach, with Vinicius Junior and Mbappe initially pressing high before their intensity gradually decreased, allowing Barcelona to dictate play. This was never more evident than Robert Lewandowski’s 54th-minute opener at the Bernabeu in October, when Mark Casado was given time and acres of space to select him.
The attacking line leaves Real Madrid needing more cover in midfield, especially given their problems at full-back. Eduardo Camavinga and Valverde struggled to influence both matches as they were required to assist Ferland Mendy and Vazquez. Camavinga couldn’t handle Gavi’s moves in the Super Cup either. Bellingham’s role also seemed unclear.
The need for midfield players was exacerbated by Ancelotti’s tactical approach, where his team played through pressure to find the strikers. Long balls targeted Barcelona’s weakness, but when they failed, they led to situations like the one below and the Catalan team dominated the course of the game.
Midfielders Tigiani Reynders and Youssouf Fofana enjoyed similar spaces to work with when Milan won 3-1 at the Bernabeu in November.
Dropping one of the four will raise eyebrows but seems necessary in big games.
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(Photo above: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
