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How Real Madrid could line up against Real Sociedad
On Saturday night, Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in what poses to be a tricky challenge. The Basque side sit sixth on the league standings, with 12 wins and eight draws in their 26 games so far.
However, their recent performance in big games has been far from convincing. Imanol Barrenetxea’s side received a pasting in the Basque derby against Athletic Club at San Mames before getting knocked out of the Europa League at home by RB Leipzig.
They have come back relatively strong with two wins against Mallorca and Osasuna. Yet, Ancellotti’s side will fancy their chances against the relatively out-of-form Sociedad side.
The starting XI
Fresh off their win over Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid are in good touch heading into a decisive week. Given that the gargantuan second leg against Paris-Saint Germain is only four days away, Carlo Ancellotti will have to select his lineup wisely. Moreover, the worrying injury status of key players is another factor that could influence the manager’s plans.
Thibaut Courtois will continue to start in goal for Los Blancos. The Belgian international fad a fabulous February and was also nominated as one of the players of the month. After making five key saves against Rayo Vallecano and steering his team to three points, he will look to ride on the high tide.
David Alaba missed the team’s last clash owing to a groin injury, and his place in the lineup was taken by Nacho Fernandez. The Austrian completed training with the group this week and seems set to make his comeback against Real Sociedad.
Partnering him in central defence will likely be Eder Militao. The 24-year-old centre-back has been rock solid for the men in white after a shaky start to his career in Madrid.
At right-back, Ancellotti has two options to choose from. Dani Carvajal is the first choice to start on the night, but Lucas Vasquez presents an equally strong position to compete. Given the midweek clash against PSG, the manager could opt for the latter and keep Carvajal well-rested.
Ferland Mendy has covered the left flank well this season and will continue to do the same on Saturday. The French international will be up against David Silva and Portu on his flank and will have to be at the top of his game.
In midfield, Ancellotti is faced with a dilemma. Toni Kroos missed training for Los Blancos owing to a muscular injury and is expected to miss the clash against Real Sociedad. The German is even said to be a doubt for the Champions League fixture midweek. To compound the manager’s headache, Federico Valverde continues to be unavailable.
Ideally, the coach would have liked to rest Luka Modric ahead of the PSG clash. Now, however, the Croatian’s involvement at the weekend seems inevitable.
Casemiro will be the second player in midfield, holding the fortress from a deep position. The Brazilian had a relatively poor performance against Rayo Vallecano and will look up to recoup his form ahead of the big clash midweek.
The third cog in the wheel of midfield is where the uncertainty lies. Two options stand out for Ancellotti to choose from. Isco has not played in Real Madrid’s last four games, yet, the circumstances make him a valid option to start on the night.
The more probable choice is Eduardo Camavinga. The youngster came on for the final ten minutes last week with no big contribution to the result. He could get a full start on the night.
In the attack, one can expect Vinicius Jr to start on the left flank. The young Brazilian assisted the winner vs Vallecano in addition to three key passes and two dribbles. He will be a key part of the team’s dynamics against Real Sociedad.
No Real Madrid lineup is complete without the inclusion of Karim Benzema. and the lineup is expected to be rounded up by Marco Asensio on the right-wing. The Spaniard was one of the brightest sparks on the field against Rayo Vallecano and will look to keep his good form going.
The Bench
Dani Ceballos and Isco are valuable options on the bench and could replace Luka Modric in the second half.
It goes without saying that Ancelotti would like to give his forwards some rest ahead of a difficult second leg in the Champions League. Eden Hazard is an option he could consider in the second half. A similar use case could be presented for young Rodrygo.
Not to forget Gareth Bale, who could come on for Benzema in the latter stages of the encounter.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
