Real Madrid News
Ancelotti has decided on Real Madrid’s attacking trident for RB Leipzig clash
Karim Benzema’s injury in the UEFA Champions League clash against Celtic was seen as a major worry for Real Madrid given the lack of a natural backup in the No. 9 role at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal.
However, the performance earlier today against RCD Mallorca in La Liga will have eased a lot of nerves among the fanbase. Without Benzema on board, Los Blancos thrashed their visitors 4-1, riding on the brilliance of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes and Federico Valverde.
Eden Hazard had started as the No. 9 in Benzema’s absence after scoring against Celtic. However, the Belgian did not have the most effective outing on Sunday afternoon. Following his substitution, Rodrygo moved into the centre-forward slot and sparked things into life.
The Brazilian was brilliant playing through the middle as he set Vinicius up for a goal before scoring one himself with a brilliant strike.
Following his performance, MARCA (h/t Madrid Zone) is now reporting that Ancelotti has decided to start Rodrygo as the No. 9 ahead of Eden Hazard when Real Madrid face RB Leipzig in the Champions League next week.
With Rodrygo moving into a central role, Ancelotti plans to deploy Valverde out on the right flank against the Bundesliga giants. And Vinicius is a permanent fixture on the left flank, given his form and importance to the team.
Ancelotti praised Rodrygo’s performance playing through the middle against Mallorca, saying: “In the second half we did better when Rodrygo was striker, he combined well with Vinicius.”
So, unless something changes in the next couple of days, it seems like Real Madrid will line up with the attacking trident of Valverde, Rodrygo and Vinicius against RB Leipzig, with Hazard dropping down to the bench.
The trio was on target on Sunday afternoon and Madridistas will hope for them to carry on in the same vein of form in Europe.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
Jose
September 12, 2022 at 11:20 am
That’s good but I thing the coach must give more game time to Hazard
Yoni
September 12, 2022 at 3:12 pm
Ancelotti should let him play another 20min like vini and rodrygo and he would score GIVE HIM TIME
Sesan Odesanya
September 13, 2022 at 10:04 am
It was always going to be a bad experiment with Hazard playing a false 9 role as it was during the el classico friendly. Rodrygo had always been a number 9 before coming to Spain although with s different characteristics to Benzema.