These observations – where I look real MadridThe story, its loan players, Castilla, Tactical Tickbits and other relevant thoughts, are now something regular. You can find all the previous editions here.
It is a strange place to be: Real Madrid is closed and loaded into three important competitions, first in the league, and armed to overcome their next opponents of the Champions League, Leganes and Manchester City, respectively. Everything is at stake.
However, there is a restlessness in a fundamental stretch. The next opponent of the League, Atlético de Madrid, is one of the Bogey teams of Carlo Ancelotti, and a defeat against Diego Simeone would mean a fall in second place. On Wednesday, Real Madrid makes the city trip to Leganes for the quarter -final draw with one leg. It is true that this game in Butarque is the slightest of Real Madrid’s concerns at this time, but it is worth noting that this is the Copa del Rey, the trophy that often escapes the club in the early stages, and Leganes eliminated the Real Madrid of the Cup of the Cup. 2018.
And then there is Manchester City brutally of low performance and dead clubs, which receives Real Madrid only three days after Ancelotti men have to play against Atlético. City will have had the opportunity to “rest” between the loss of Bloodbath against Arsenal, about nine days, since its only intermediate game is a fourth round game of the FA Cup against Leyton Orient.
On the one hand, Real Madrid is so close to greatness. There is a roof that this team has not yet achieved, an exhibition has not yet seen, where the team increases its defense and murders the teams in transition with one of the best collections of weapons against the paper attacks that the world has had some Once seen.
But the ceiling has not been beaten, and the glimpses have been few and very far. The injuries continue to decimate the background, in the cruel and twisted manner of the universe to ensure that the Real Madrid Board regrets its lack of investment in key positions. To make things worse, Carlo Ancelotti has shown little that not true in youth players who could help instead of the lack of signings. Could Jesús Fortea or Lorenzo Aguado have been ready for a key February section? Maybe. We will never know. His preparation process should have begun at the time Dani Carvajal broke his ACL in October. Fortunately, Raúl Asencio, an absolute revelation, is ready to help now because he was given a chance (and an emergency emergency was taken!) For him to obtain one or two representatives.
Ancelotti has not yet found his best XI. Even if I could, it would be difficult with so many injuries. Eduardo Camavinga is barely close. The team does not have a natural anchor in the center of the countryside with Aurelien Tchouameni, which fights perpetually, has to play the center of the back. As poor as the city has been, they will undoubted Haaland-Stopper) there is no sight to help.
Real Madrid has fought with its progression and defense of the ball, which in turn means that the team has less opportunities to feed Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe in significant attack situations. Things are worked.
Some can look at the 5 – 1 victory of Arsenal over the city on the weekend as a good omen, proof that Real Madrid can beat City comfortably. Of course, they can. Real Madrid can defeat anyone. But I would like to provide an easy counter: they can also lose anyone, including this city team. Look at the Arsenal game again and take a look at Arsenal: they pressed efficiently and stayed compact. Real Madrid has not shown these defensive features this season, even when it matters against great teams: Barcelona (twice), Liverpool, AC Milan. Arsenal created opportunities against City through its defense. That’s where it begins.
There is another side of all this pessimism: Real Madrid is alive in the three main competitions, and if they pass this exhausting February test, they have made the classic Real Madrid movement: buy time, grind it, play through bad performances and injuries , and win impulse in spring. As a general optimistic (if you do not believe me, I was on the grill for suggest That Real Madrid is in this situation despite not reaching its maximum point is good.
(But you have to improve, dramatically. And if you do, the board cannot use any success at the end of the season to continue being negligent).