Real Madrid News
Real Madrid academy ace set to start vs Al-Hilal in Kylian Mbappe’s absence
Real Madrid begin their campaign in the FIFA Club World Cup in a matter of hours and Xabi Alonso has a massive decision to make over the lineup he will go ahead with.
Faced with an official game as his first match in charge as the team manager, the club legend must first choose a formation to adopt on the night. While a 4-4-2 was initially rumoured, it now appears that he has selected a 4-3-3.
It remains to be seen who Alonso picks as his defenders and midfielders for the game against Al-Hilal, but Miguel Angel Diaz provides an update on the team’s forward lineup for the game tonight.
A surprise starter
As relayed by the Spanish journalist, Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo Goes are set to start for Real Madrid against the Saudi Arabia-based club with the former playing on the left flank and the latter on the right.
The third player in the trident, surprisingly, is Gonzalo Garcia – the young academy talent who chipped in with some vital contributions for the team under Carlo Ancelotti last season.
The youngster sees his number called only because Kylian Mbappe is unwell with a fever and is thus unlikely to play any part tonight. As a striker, the manager likely prefers Garcia as he is the only natural replacement in the department.
Alonso’s selection speaks volumes about his trust in youngsters and sets the tone for what will be a very different set of years under his tutelage. Many reports even relay that Arda Guler is set to start on the night.
Garcia, who will start in attack tonight, scored a crucial goal for Real Madrid against Leganes last season as his 93rd-minute winner helped the team progress to the semifinal of the Copa del Rey.
More recently, he even provided an assist in the team’s penultimate league clash against Sevilla and has thus shown to have the required mettle to play for the first team.
Tonight’s game, however, will be vital for him as he will look to prove that he is a worthy bet as a backup striker for the upcoming season.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
