Soccer preseason | Balance of the Real Madrid tour: new system, paper defense and attack with a slingshot

2023-08-04 09:42:50

Real Madrid from the United States returns with its coaching staff concerned about the lack of a team with more shadows than lights after completing four games on the Champions Tour with two victories against Milan and Manchester United, and two defeats against Barcelona and Juventus. A baggage in which the sensation of having reaped some deceptive results remains, due to the bulk of the defeats, but with some disturbing symptoms that were repeated in three of the four matches. These are some of the conclusions of this preseason by the United States of the Whites.

Bellingham

For many the great news of the preseason. The Englishman has confirmed the hierarchy of him starting all four games and being the most used player on the tour. On the positive side, it stands out that he has adapted to the hooking position in the medifield diamond or behind the forwards, with a lot of prominence in the attacking game. On the negative, that He has only scored one goal in 272 minutes, the one against Manchester United, and the transformation from ‘swan to shark’ that Ancelotti needs from him does not seem complete.

New system

The day that Ancelotti was informed during his vacation in Canada that despite the departure of Benzema he was not going to have more attacking reinforcements than Joselu, he decided to try a new tactical system to try to make Bellingham profitable in attack. The conclusion is that the team generates an outstanding offensive flow, with 91 shots on goal on tour, for an average of 22 per game. However, in defense, where high pressure has worked in many phases of the matches, the system breaks down and the midfield suffers when defending. In addition, Kroos cannot be the pivot when the games have rhythm because he does not reach coverage, as happened against Barcelona in the second half and with Juventus in the first leg. The full-backs joyfully join the attack and camavinga, Bellingham o Fran García they look better with the 4-4-2 in rhombus or with the 4-3-1-2, but he takes Vinicius out of the band to push him inside and loses vertigo by having more traffic in your catchment area.

lack of footprint

Before the unexpected ‘fright’ of Benzema to Saudi Arabia occurred, Carletto already informed José Ángel Sánchez and Juni Calafat, the two executives who have led the tour in the United States in the absence of Florentino Pérez, that they had to look for a replacement so as not to saturate Karim. With his departure, the problem has worsened, despite the arrival of Joselu, who came to rest the Frenchman. The Spanish international has suffered on this tour because Madrid is used to associating and does not look for centers in the area. Joselu has only scored one goal, a great goal against Manchester United, in the 154 minutes that Ancelotti has given him in all four games. It seems clear that it is a resource that will add up, but it will not be the main proposal. In the eleven they will appear Rodrygo, who has returned from the United States without scoring, and Vinicius, who despite being in a more uncomfortable position for him, has scored two goals, like Valverde, and it has been the most unbalancing. Nor is Brahim, who has only enjoyed 93 minutes, decisive for the Italian. Madrid needs a reference 9, be it called Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane or whatever name Florentino Pérez wants to put. But this tour has confirmed that with a slingshot you can’t go to war like this Madrid is doing, which throws punches but finds it hard to reach the opponent’s jaw.

paper defense

The great upset of the preseason for Ancelotti. Madrid returns home with six goals for and eight against in four friendlies! This fact is aggravated if one takes into account that against United he did not concede and in the two defeats he received, with Courtois in goal, three goals against Barça and three against a minor Juventus. Errors in the ball out can be attributed to a lack of tension, something even logical in preseason. But the statistics are cruel with this Madrid in defense. Against Milan two of the three shots between the sticks by the Italians ended in goals, with Barça they were three of seven and in the case of Juve, three of six. In other words, one out of every two shots at Madrid’s goal ends in a goal. An unthinkable defensive fragility in an Ancelotti team. Madrid bleeds behind. This It invites us to think that the 4-4-2 in diamonds will end up becoming a 4-3-1-2 to give defensive consistency in the midfield with a trivote in which Camavinga is fixed (256 minutes) and Tchouameni has offered good benefits. Not so Modric and Kroos together.

Mbappe

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The arrival of Mbappé is non-negotiable because it is necessary. Because in addition to contributing a goal, it would allow Ancelotti to recover the 4-3-3 with Vinicius on the left and alternatives on the right like Rodrygo, Valverde (who adds up whenever he steps in the area) or Bellingham. The Englishman can also play inside in midfield to come from behind. But The team urgently needs a reference up front, a player who stretches the field and creates spaces for his teammates looking for the rival back and relieves Vinicius of responsibility, who is alone and closely watched by rivals.

Dock

The squad still has depth, but it is unbalanced. There is overbooking in midfield, where Arda Güler and Ceballos have yet to join. In the goal, Lunin’s departure is still unresolved, because the Ukrainian has blocked the situation. In defense, Mendy does not give the level and Fran García will start. It seems that Kroos and Modric will alternate or play more at the Bernabéu than outside, while Vinicius and Rodrygo are the only consistent resources in attack waiting for Joselu to adapt to the team and the team to Joselu. Brahim will have to break down the door and convince Carletto.