Tyler Stearns |
Real Madrid faced their second straight defeat yesterday after a home loss to AC Milan. This is their second home loss in the last ten days, the first one obviously to Barcelona. Madrid has been able to create expected goals, but not actually score those goals. And it is hurting them. Let's break down their struggles.
Real Madrid is playing like a disappointing team. They signed Mbappe in the offseason and had immense hype going into the year. They won the Champions League and Spanish League in 2023-2024, and after adding the world's best player, everyone expected them to go back to back. But so far, it hasn't panned out. They have faced some horrible defeats, some bad draws, and sketchy wins. Many of their league wins have come due to late-game penalties, and the only way they score goals is because they place constant pressure on the opponent.
They were able to get away with their poor play against La Liga teams as well as their early Champions League foes. But they came into the Barcelona game complacent. Of course, they weren't able to figure out how to beat Hansi Flick's high line, as they had more than ten offsides in the game including eight in the first half. Mbappe looked out of position, Jude couldn't create, Vini was stopped, and Rodrygo was injured. There was no attacking threat in the second half after the disappointing first 45. They lost 4-0 at the Bernabeu and their fans were shocked. But that game could have gone a different way if they scored, so they looked to AC Milan to correct their attacking issues. But they weren't able to change anything. Their only goal scored was a penalty by Vinicius Jr., and again, Milan's high line hurt them.
Their formation is the biggest issue. They, unfortunately, have two three left-wingers in Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Vini, all of whom drift to that side of the pitch. Bellingham is often left with few options to pass to and has to be a creator, which is a role that he is not best in. The defense isn't able to contain free attackers either. And that is because they are accustomed to a counter-attacking scheme, which is Madrid's specialty. But with all of their attacking options, Ancelotti has moved away from their traditional style. The only way they will find their way back into Europe is if they get back into that Jose Mourinho 2012 formation, which is heavy on a low block and a fast counterattack. This would put less stress on Militao and Rudiger, and allow Mbappe and Vini to thrive on the counter. Valverde would also do well in this style of football, as he is a quick player who can pick out deep passes.
Madrid hasn't been able to stop the counterattack. Against Barca, their deep-lying midfield was wide open. Barca was able to pick out passes without any resistance and broke into the Real defense after just two passes. If they sit back, like they did against Manchester City at the Etihad last season, then their attack will become much more lethal. But right now, everything is going wrong for them.
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