Real Madrid News
Carlo Ancelotti’s three-point plan for Man City vs Real Madrid second-leg
After a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw with Manchester City, Real Madrid will shift their focus to the second leg next week, as they look to secure a ticket to the UEFA Champions League final.
Due to the result of the first leg, Real Madrid must ensure a victory against Man City at the Etihad if they are to go through. The Spanish giants admittedly were a bit unlucky as Kevin de Bruyne’s equaliser should not have stood, as the ball was out of play during the build-up.
Real Madrid, though, have buried the hatchet and are focused on the second leg. According to Radio MARCA (h/t Madrid Xtra), Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has come up with a three-point plan to beat Man City in the second leg next week.
The Italian manager plans to approach this game with a slight change in team selection. He wants to start Rodrygo on the bench, possibly retaining his services as more of an impact sub later on in the proceedings.
It must be noted that the Brazilian had played a spectacular cameo for Real Madrid against Man City in last season’s semifinal.
Another change in team selection could come in midfield, where Ancelotti plans to start with Eduardo Camavinga. The Frenchman has been a much-improved player since the turn of the year and could be deployed in the middle of the park, possibly alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Finally, Ancelotti plans to change the formation. He is thinking of deploying a 4-4-2, which would mean Federico Valverde might shift into the wide midfield slot, allowing Vinicius Junior to operate alongside Karim Benzema in the two-pronged Real Madrid attack.
The 4-4-2 formation should make Real Madrid much more sturdy during defensive formations. But at the same time, it could make them very sharp on the counter, especially with Vinicius Junior and Benzema making darting runs in behind the opposition backline.
However, given the quality of the opposition coach, it remains to be seen whether any of Ancelotti’s planned changes become useful for the away side next week.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
