Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti is seriously reconsidering his tactics for big games after his side’s 5-2 Supercopa de Espana final defeat by Barcelona.
Madrid started that game with four attack-minded players in Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham, but Ancelotti and his staff are considering changing this to find more balance against demanding opponents.
They went 1-0 up against Barca through Mbappe’s fifth-minute goal but then conceded four times in the first half and again in the 48th minute to complete a historic loss — it was the first time Madrid had conceded four times in consecutive Clasicos after a 4-0 La Liga defeat to Barca at the Bernabeu in October.
Madrid have suffered damaging defeats in other major games this season, including against Milan and Liverpool in the Champions League and away at Bilbao’s Athletic Club in La Liga.
The idea not to play with four forwards is a strong solution that has been reached by Ancelotti and his staff as they reflect on the Supercopa loss to Barcelona. As usually happens on a weekly basis, they will also hold talks with the board to review the situation.
Madrid were unbeaten in eight games before Sunday’s loss but Ancelotti wants to vary his plan. The club’s idea was to put together a star-studded forward line, but the team have not been able to find the right balance between defence and attack in key games.
It remains to be seen which of the four attacking players would be benched. Everything suggests Rodrygo would be the most likely to be dropped, although the 24-year-old Brazil forward is highly valued by Ancelotti for his defensive work rate.
(Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Not playing four forwards would lead to Madrid using a 4-4-2 formation. That would see Federico Valverde move back to the right wing and Bellingham to the left — which would require significant sacrifices from the Uruguay and England internationals.
Academy graduate Raul Asencio is expected to gain more prominence in the coming weeks. Voices within the club — who, like all those cited in this piece, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — say it would have been difficult for the 21-year-old to start against Barca given the team’s great recent form.
The coaching staff did not see the need to play Asencio instead of Lucas Vazquez at right-back or Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back for the Supercopa final because they had kept a clean sheet in the semi-final against Real Mallorca. But Asencio’s performances are now expected to be rewarded, with ongoing knee problems suffered by Antonio Rudiger a factor.
Sources at Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground say they are aware of heightened criticism Vazquez and Tchouameni have received since the Clasico defeat. There is no natural back-up for the 33-year-old Vazquez as he covers for the injured Dani Carvajal and the coaching staff have stressed the need for a reinforcement — with Madrid trying to bring in Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold this month.
Coaching-staff sources say criticism of Tchouameni is understandable, but they say he has played well in an unfamiliar position in central defence this year and last.
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What went wrong for Madrid in El Clasico?
Analysis by Anantaajith Raghuraman
Real Madrid boast four of the world’s best attacking talents, but doubts remain over how well they work together, particularly following back-to-back heavy defeats to Barcelona.
In both games, their lack of pressing from the front created issues. They followed a similar theme, with Vinicius Jr and Mbappe initially pressing high before a progressive drop in intensity, allowing Barca to dictate play. This was most evident from Robert Lewandowski’s 54th-minute opener at the Bernabeu in October, when Marc Casado was afforded time and acres of space to pick him out.
The frontline leaves Madrid needing more midfield cover, particularly given their problems at full-back. Eduardo Camavinga and Valverde struggled to impact both games as they were required to help Ferland Mendy and Vazquez. Camavinga could not deal with Gavi’s movement in the Supercopa either. Bellingham’s role has looked unclear too.
The need for bodies in midfield was exacerbated by Ancelotti’s tactical approach, with his team playing over the press to find the forwards. The long balls targeted a Barca weakness, but when it failed, it led to situations like the one below and the Catalans controlled proceedings.
Midfielders Tijiani Reijnders 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 looks a necessity in big games.
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(Top photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
