Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid starting lineup against Elche | La Liga MD 28
Real Madrid lock horns with Elche later tonight at the Santiago Bernabeu hoping to close down the gap at the top to FC Barcelona.
With kick-off a little over an hour away, manager Alvaro Arbeloa has announced the starting lineup that will face Eder Sarabia’s men.
There are some changes made to the side that started against Manchester City in midweek, starting at right-back, where captain Dani Carvajal replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Meanwhile, Fran Garcia starts at left-back in place of the injured Ferland Mendy. Dean Huijsen and Antonio Rudiger retain their place in central defence guarding Thibaut Courtois in the Real Madrid goal.
As for the midfield department, there is a start for Eduardo Camavinga, who comes into the side at the expense of Arda Guler.
The Frenchman is expected to slot in on the left flank, while Thiago Pitarch moves in centrally alongside Aurelien Tchouameni. Federico Valverde keeps his place on the right flank.
At the top, Arbeloa has once again opted to partner Vinicius Jr. with Brahim Diaz, meaning Gonzalo Garcia is left out on the bench.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
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🆚 @ElcheCF
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Jose Mourinho is looking for solutions to Real Madrid’s problems, and the extended international break has given him time to analyse the team in depth.
Now, according to Defensa Central, one of the conclusions from his assessment concerns Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler, the players Mourinho believes should be central to the team’s football.
Although they operate in different positions, the manager wants all four to take a step forward on the pitch.
He wants them to push their lines higher and move closer to the opposition penalty area, believing this would help Real Madrid both defensively and offensively.
Mourinho wants to pin opponents inside their own box
Mourinho wants Real Madrid’s play to go through Bellingham, Valverde, Bernardo and Guler, but he has also asked them to start creating attacks much closer to the opposition area and to link up more closely with the forwards.
The idea is to make the team more compact in possession and force opponents deeper into their own half.
If Real Madrid’s midfield can build play much higher up the pitch, opponents will have to retreat. That would allow Mourinho’s side to improve their pressing, make it more effective and increase the volume of attacks.
As a result, Real Madrid should create considerably more opportunities to score.
A compact Real Madrid for 90 minutes
Mourinho wants his team to stay together and remain compact throughout the full 90 minutes, rather than doing so only in short periods.
Defensively, this would reduce the spaces available for opponents to build their attacks and could force them to play more directly, looking to exploit the space behind the defensive line.
That is an area where the pace and defensive ability of Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries, alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, can provide protection.
The same compactness could also benefit Real Madrid in attack by keeping opponents pinned back. Mourinho wants to use the quality of his players to create a greater number of dangerous situations.
Mourinho’s idea is that Real Madrid’s most talented players must push the team forward and help them put opponents under pressure much closer to the box.
