_edited.jpg)
Without a doubt, the biggest fixture in world football is Real Madrid vs Barcelona. With a rivalry running for decades and having each employed the best players in world football, it is easy to see why this is the most enjoyable and entertaining in the world of sports. This rivalry increased greatly during the Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo era where intense games were played every season. In the latest edition of El Clásico, the stakes were very high. It was the final of the Supercopa de España, the two best teams in Spain going head to head for a chance with a trophy. On paper, Real Madrid were the clear favorites with world class superstars Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde and the newly signed striker Kylian Mbappé.
The squad that Real Madrid built for this season was something that many experts called it something never before seen and that it was going to be a breeze in their season. However, Real Madrid were thrashed both tactically and mentally by Barcelona ending with an embarrassing scoreline for 5-2 in favor of the Culés. The question every football fan is asking is: Where did it all go wrong for Real Madrid? Who’s fault is it that halfway through the season, the team doesn’t have a set playing style yet? Well to understand this, we must go back to the very beginning of the season.
Real Madrid’s 23/24 season was nothing short of excellent. Carlo Ancelotti’s side won 5 out of 6 possible trophies with dominant performances in La Liga, Champions League, and Supercopa de España. While having many challenges (Karim Benzema having left and no replacement was found, the starting goalkeeper and both starting CB’s out with ACL injuries), Ancelotti improved brilliantly the system which had worked so well for previous seasons. With new arrival Jude Bellingham, Ancelotti turned him into an attacking midfielder which alongside Toni Kroos proved lethal for any defense. After the excellent season, however, many changes happened. Toni Kroos retired during the summer and Kylian Mbappé arrived after 7 years of speculation and expectations by Madridistas around the world.
Everyone was expecting a season similar to success to the previous one as one of the best players of the world had joined Madrid, however something was off. The team felt disconnected, without tactics and forced to depend on individual sparks instead of a cohesive team performance. This was surprising as Madrid have the best players in the world in each position however they played like an amateur side. One of the biggest mistakes of Ancelotti this season was removing the diamond system and converting Aurelien Tchouamení into a center back. Normally a midfielder, Tchouameni felt disconnected and disoriented in the defense which led to a lot of defensive errors in the first part of the season including losses against Liverpool (0-2), Milan (1-3) and Barcelona (0-4).
The bad tactics and planning by Ancelotti culminated in a horrifying performance in the second El Clásico of the season where Barca dominated the game from start to finish and only Kylian Mbappé looked focused in the game. Lots of defensive errors were made by Madrid including conceding from an offensive corner. After the game, many people called for Ancelotti’s sacking as his lack of tactics and mentality cost Real Madrid one of the biggest trophies of the season. However, in my opinion, while Ancelotti has made a lot of mistakes, many Real Madrid fans are lacking to see the positives of this season.
As of today, Real Madrid is leading La Liga with a 7 point lead over Barca, they are also in the Quarter Finals of Copa del Rey as well as qualifying to the playoffs of the Champions League. Ancelotti has also made us 3 win Champions League as well as numerous other trophies so in my opinion, he should stay until the end of the season so it can be evaluated as a whole. While the team’s playstyle may take some time to function, and some of the performances may be questionable, Real Madrid has the strength to have another fantastic season at the hands of a great squad and a world class coach. As the great Toni Kroos once said “Real Madrid will always be back”.
Hala Madrid!
Commentaires