Real Madrid’s back line was poor against Barcelona, but they are still not ready to sign a defender. Why not?
Real Madrid’s 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final sparked more controversy over the future of team coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Despite the talk between pundits and supporters, several sources at the club – who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships – were surprised and uncomfortable that the Italian’s position was even a topic of conversation.
One highly placed source said the team could not always play well or win, adding: “Grades are given in the spring,” suggesting it was now too early to judge Ancelotti.
Just as firmly, the same sources played down the impact that a heavy loss to their rivals would have on Real Madrid’s approach to the January transfer window. They insisted that Madrid work according to a plan and not respond to specific defeats or criticism.
This is both good and bad news for Ancelotti: his job looks secure but he will not receive major reinforcements during this transfer window. The only strange thing would be Liverpool agreeing to sell Trent Alexander-Arnold in the coming weeks.
Concerns about Real Madrid’s defense were evident in the team’s performance in Jeddah. They were in disarray as Lamine Yamal and Rafinha wreaked havoc, helping Barcelona recover from Kylian Mbappe’s early goal to take a 4-1 lead at half-time.
“I said it before the match: we have to defend well to win this match,” Ancelotti said after the match. “We defended poorly and Barcelona defended better and won.”
When Mbappe put Real Madrid ahead five minutes later – his third goal in three finals (the European Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and the Spanish Super Cup) – few would have imagined they could end the match with that kind of result.
From that moment on, it became a nightmare for Real Madrid, and this was reflected in the face of club president Florentino Pérez when the television cameras turned to him in the stands on a number of occasions.
Some, inside and outside the club, believe Perez should have done more to bolster Real Madrid’s defense in the summer.
However, Ancelotti is bearing the brunt of the criticism now, with his side suffering two modest defeats to their arch-rivals this season, having lost 4-0 at home in La Liga last October.
Sunday’s match was reminiscent of the 2023 Spanish Super Cup final, almost two years ago to the day, when Barcelona swept Real Madrid and Karim Benzema scored his consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat in the final minute of stoppage time.
In Jeddah, Real Madrid could have fallen behind twice before Mbappe made it 1-0 in the fifth minute. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two early saves, first from Yamal and then a header from Rafina after the Brazilian was left free by Aurelien Chouamini (a midfielder who plays as a centre-back) and a struggling Lucas Vazquez.
Ancelotti’s side began to pull away in the 21st minute, beaten by an impressive Yamal. The 17-year-old received a pass from Robert Lewandowski after Antonio Rudiger was caught high up the pitch. Ferland Mendy was no match for Yamal in the run, rushing into the Real Madrid penalty area, shouldering Tchouamini and then firing a shot past Courtois into the bottom right corner.
Barcelona then took the lead from the penalty spot after a clumsy challenge from Eduardo Camavinga on Gavi. Lewandowski scored the penalty and the faces of the Real Madrid players told the story. They were worried.
In the 39th minute, Rafinha added the third goal, passing between Tchoamini and Vasquez again to head home a cross. This time, Courtois was no match for him, and the ball reached the bottom left corner of the goal.
Then late in first-half stoppage time, Alejandro Balde made it 4-1 as Barcelona pounced on sloppy play from Rodrigo. The left-back combined brilliantly with Rafinha on the counter-attack, passing the ball beyond Courtois.
Real Madrid went into the second half having enjoyed 34 per cent of possession and allowed Barcelona 13 shots on target, seven of which were on target – the most in a first half against Madrid in the past 11 seasons, according to Opta.
Three minutes into the second half, it was the same story: Real Madrid had more problems down the right flank with Vazquez and Choaméni. With Vazquez remaining in an attacking position, Tchouamini was not quick enough to cover the right-back area, and was played by Rafinha, who also outpaced Rudiger by cutting in on his left foot and then shooting it into the far corner.
(Mohamed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The performance of Lucas (Vasquez) and Chouamini? I don’t have to mention anyone’s name. I’m talking about the team,” Ancelotti said when asked about the duo.
Minutes after Barcelona’s fifth goal, Ancelotti pulled Vazquez in favor of Raul Asensio, the academy centre-back who some say Ancelotti should use more after some strong games last year. Federico Valverde took over Vázquez’s position and the captain’s armband. The coach, although always trying to avoid this, switched his most important midfielder to right-back, as he did at the end of 2024 when Real Madrid were struggling with injuries.
That’s why Real Madrid want Alexander-Arnold, according to one source from the Valdebebas headquarters The athlete:”Without a right-back, it is impossible to win the Champions League.”
With Asensio’s entry, Tchouamini returned to midfield, but made little impact in his preferred position and it was not long before he was replaced by Luka Modric. Some in the dressing room have lost confidence in the France international, while others have pointed out that he often plays in an unfamiliar position.
Tshwamini has had to fill the centre-back position this season (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Real Madrid clearly have problems in defence, both in the short and long term, and several players have been linked with them in recent months. One is Al-Nasr and Spain centre-back Aymeric Laporte, who watched the match at Jeddah Stadium, but it is understood his transfer was difficult financially. Another player is Vitor Reis, the 19-year-old Brazilian centre-back at Palmeiras who is sparking interest from Manchester City, but there are some doubts at Madrid about his ability to defend out wide, and Palmeiras have insisted that Reis cannot leave until after this summer’s season. . Club World Cup.
Although Ancelotti has insisted internally that reinforcements are needed, the club is being measured on transfer spending and does not believe in making big moves in the January market. In press conferences in recent weeks, Ancelotti has not closed the door on arrivals this month, whereas in the past he has been more accommodating with the club.
Important figures at Madrid have agreed with him that a right-back and a centre-back must be signed, either now or in the summer, but the fact that others are on the same page with him does not mean the club will go out and spend – as their calmness shows in this window.
When the final whistle blew, it was clear that Real Madrid did not want to stay on the field a minute longer than they had to while their rivals celebrated a huge victory. In a rare conversation caught on camera, Perez turned to his captain Modric and said: “We have to lose the final at some point, right?”
Real Madrid will return from Saudi Arabia worried about the harsh defeat at the hands of Barcelona, but the alarm bells have not yet rung. Before this match, they had won seven and drawn one of their previous eight matches in all competitions.
After losing in El Clásico in October, there were disappointing results against Milan, Liverpool and Athletic Club. They will be hoping for a sharper reaction this time around, starting with Thursday’s Copa del Rey match against Celta Vigo.
(Top photo: Ismail Adnan Yacoub/Anadolu via Getty Images)
