Ancelotti and his adjustment to avoid the Atlético advantage that knocked them out of the Metropolitan | Relief
Real Madrid have only lost one game this season. That was almost four months ago against Atlético Madrid, who once again pushed them to the limit in the Super Cup, the only team to score three goals against them (in both matches) this season. Ancelotti, who saw the diamond and his start to the season thrown into doubt after a decisive fall at the Civitas Metropolitano, hardly solid and very vulnerable on both sides, He has chosen changes that continue to feed his best players, while minimizing the areas in which Real Madrid were vulnerable. This derby will be another litmus test.
Winning the Super Cup in Riyadh supports Ancelotti’s recently renewed path as Real Madrid’s young players and those not so young are seen to be on an upward trajectory thanks to a football system based on an almost blind trust in a player’s talent. So Bellingham reinvents himself as a footballer full of labels, and Vinicius is no longer just a striker, but a much more complete striker.or. What is often pejoratively called a manager turned out to be much more than that. The diamond has given way to a different way of organizing the game when the team is in possession, and although Real Madrid continue to concede, it limits the superiority of Atlético’s system at Wanda.
The message that defeat left at the Met
When a team with a five-man line faces a team with a four-man line, the attackers may have an initial advantage. And even more so if, as in the case of Atlético Madrid, there is a player on the flank like Samu Lino, who has dribbling ability and is able to overcome his colleague. Because? TOWith a player demanding attention and the presence of Mario Hermoso as a second midfielder, Real Madrid were forced to defend very intensely. opening up many holes and, above all, depriving the area of protection. Atlético Madrid scored three goals against Civitas with their heads.
Simeone’s men easily conquered the domestic sides, causing the side to bounce, leaving the area in an inferior state. In that derby, the loss of Vinicius left Ancelotti without his most crucial player in the open field, with the Italian placing Bellingham alongside Rodri and Modric at the top of the diamond. Kroos, who was responsible for all the ball handling, saw how at defensive level he was very vulnerable to having to move the ball too far, while being the player responsible for swinging and assisting Fran Garcia. Atlético, a wide and vertical team, took advantage of this.
Ancelotti turned around after injuries to Tchuameni and Camavinga. Fede Valverde began to play alongside Kroos, and Modric took on more weight in the inner zones, so that Real now had not one player (Bellingham) moving around in this zone, but two. Without Vinicius, Brahim took a step forward and, together with Rodrigo, gave the White team’s entire attacking front great dynamism and mobility.. Real Madrid are a difficult team to classify because Ancelotti avoids photographs; His team is dispersed, changing, a corridor where talent interacts naturally.
Valverde accompanied Kroos, being much more present in the central areas where his most fleeting and commanding version was seen. Very mature. But the big change comes as Real Madrid begins to defend in a 4-4-2 formation, with Bellingham having more weight on the left flank that Kroos once occupied, protecting the German (while sitting next to Fede) and giving freedom to the double. -type. . This was key to using transitions in the Super Cup final against Barca, when Bellingham was outclassed at times by Barca without much of an outside threat.
Leaving behind the most advanced players This allowed Real to have more tools to threaten Atleti in exchange for giving up meters and allowing Griezmann to take more shots when he stole the ball.. Both Fede and Bellingham are two huge destroyers and also have the strength and clairvoyance to allow their team to progress despite starting from a very low level. Modric played in Arabia, but everything points to Kroos doing it today, as he already did in the final, where he was one of the most outstanding.
Ancelotti changed the course of the season as he faced losses. From the diamond that started in pre-season to the more central midfielder Fede or the second striker Brahim. The players have reacted and Real Madrid threaten Metropolitano with only one defeat this season. Ancelotti responds to those who attribute only powers to him as a coach, showing that, above all, he is a great coach.
