Real Madrid News
Barcelona director foresees potential ‘tactical problems’ at Real Madrid with Mbappe
Barcelona sporting director Deco has given his take on Real Madrid potentially signing Kylian Mbappe in the summer transfer window.
Mbappe’s contract with PSG expires at the end of the season and all signs point towards him arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu as a free agent in the summer.
The French superstar’s impending arrival has generated a lot of excitement in the Spanish capital, with Los Blancos already boasting a star-studded squad that will be further elevated with Mbappe.
Deco warns Real Madrid
Deco, while acknowledging that Mbappe will make a significant impact should he join Real Madrid, also warned that there could be a problem of ‘balance’ in the team with his arrival.
“No discussion. He is a decisive player, who scores a lot of goals,” said the Barcelona sporting director in an interview with Que T’hi Jugues (h/t AS).
“If he comes to Real Madrid, they will be stronger, but they will have to solve some tactical problems. But in football, balance is very important.”
Where will Mbappe play?
Mbappe has always thrived playing on the left flank, a position that Vinicius Jr. currently occupies at Real Madrid.
However, Ancelotti has already thought about multiple options to fit the two superstars into his tactical blueprint for next season.
One option would be to move back to the 4-3-3 setup by sacrificing a midfielder and utilising Mbappe as the No. 9, with Vinicius and Rodrygo flanking him.
The second way would be to continue with the current 4-3-1-2 setup and replacing Rodrygo with Mbappe as Vinicius’ partner in attack.
Finally, there is also a possibility of reverting to a traditional 4-4-2 with Mbappe and Vinicius up top and Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde playing out wide.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
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Afrika
March 20, 2024 at 11:27 pm
If you look our team now, Vini is playing more central than before so I don’t see any problem
Pat Grey
March 21, 2024 at 6:52 am
I suggest Mbappe is allowed to choose his preferred position, so that he will be more useful.