Features
Rodrygo, Camavinga to return: How Real Madrid could line up against RCD Mallorca
After securing a memorable comeback win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, Real Madrid will travel to Son Moix on Monday to face RCD Mallorca, hoping to maintain their excellent form in La Liga.
Los Blancos currently have a healthy eight-point lead at the top of the league table, with very little signs of a potential late surge from second-placed Sevilla.
But there should be no room for complacency for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, up against a Mallorca side coming on the back of four successive defeats. Real Madrid had thumped Mallorca 6-1 in the reverse fixture and the Whites will be confident of their chances of repeating the feat.
Defence
Given the gruelling midweek action against PSG, Carlo Ancelotti must be careful of potential fatigue issues arising in the team. It won’t be surprising to see the Italian ringing in a couple of changes, as he keeps one eye on the gargantuan El Clasico next weekend.
Thibaut Courtois has been a mainstay in between the Real Madrid goal and has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. He remains a guaranteed starter this weekend, hoping to earn his 12th clean sheet in La Liga this season.
Dani Carvajal remains another guaranteed starter at right-back. Since his return to full fitness, the experienced Spaniard has offered stability and balance to the Real Madrid backline, though there has been a hint of inconsistency in his performances.
In central defence, Ancelotti has no reason to tinker with his tried and tested combination of David Alaba and Eder Militao. The two have developed an excellent partnership, which could go a long way in helping Los Blancos secure another win against Mallorca.
A change could be in order at left-back, as Ferland Mendy returns to contention after serving a suspension in the midweek affair against PSG. His return could be significant for Ancelotti, especially with Marcelo picking up a knock earlier this month.
Midfield
Moving into midfield, Ancelotti might look to ring in the changes, in light of Casemiro’s return after serving suspension in the UCL.
The Brazilian is set to assume his duties in defensive midfield. His ability to mop up loose balls while simultaneously making driving runs forward could be essential in helping Real Madrid stay on top against Mallorca.
Alongside Casemiro, Ancelotti could provide a breather to Luka Modric. Given Eduardo Camavinga’s excellent performance against PSG, the youngster is best placed to replace the Croat in central midfield.
Casemiro and Camavinga are likely to form Real Madrid’s midfield trifecta alongside Federico Valverde. While Toni Kroos is usually a guaranteed option, the German’s recent battle with a hamstring issue could see him being rested ahead of El Clasico next weekend.
Attack
Ancelotti is unlikely to ring in the changes in the attacking unit, considering how well the front three of Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio have fared lately.
The combination of Benzema and Vinicius, in particular, could prove to be deadly for a Mallorca side that currently have the second-worst defensive record in La Liga.
Asensio’s place in the side can be argued, as Rodrygo Goes is also pushing for a start. In fact, the Brazilian might just get the nod to feature alongside Benzema and Vinicius to form the front three for Los Blancos on Monday.
The bench
Toni Kroos could be involved in action at some point, especially if Real Madrid fail to take control of the game and dominate Mallorca.
Ancelotti has some useful options in the attack as well, with both Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard hoping to be involved. Gareth Bale is another option, who can add experience and dynamism in the final third.
Roma made Real Madrid suffer for over 80 minutes on Wednesday night, and with a 3-1 lead, looked good for the win.
A flurry of set-pieces and accurate conversion, however, saved Los Blancos and helped them take all three points against the run of play.
The true depth of the club’s forward line was on full show on the night as Kylian Mbappe, Endrick and Carlos Espi all scored for Real Madrid and contributed to the 4-1 win.
What the result once again proved, however, is that the team under Jose Mourinho continues to have severe lacunae that will be punished by any elite European opposition.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Roma 3-4 Real Madrid.
A mess of an encounter
Real Madrid simply seem incapable of winning a game of football without suffering and making a massive mess out of it at this point, and the win last night did not change that perspective in any sense.
Los Blancos were outplayed by Roma for the major part of the night as the hosts played with more intent, attacking freedom and possession against Real Madrid.
Jose Mourinho’s men have been unconvincing on the road this season, and last night appeared set to go down as another defeat until a massive turn of events in the final ten minutes.
Earning back-to-back set pieces, Real Madrid managed to convert a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win, but that does not speak to the team’s dominance in any capacity.
In the past, such a remontada would be celebrated as a mark of the team’s mentality, but those feelings do not seem to predominate this time around. Instead, the game is largely being viewed as an outing that exposed Real Madrid’s problems once again, but where they got fortunate enough to take three points.
The signs, at this point, continue to be extremely worrying and Mourinho and Co. have a lot of effort to put in if they are to overturn the team’s situation.
Substitutes outperform the starters
Jose Mourinho’s starting lineup against Roma was a representation of the mental picture the manager has of the team – and was his ‘strongest’ XI on paper.
Summer signings Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate started in defence alongside Antonio Rudiger and Denzel Dumfries.
The ‘Gala’ midfield of Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde joined Jude Bellingham in midfield while Yan Diomande, Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe all started.
Despite all the big names featuring from the get-go, however, Real Madrid simply failed to create any passage of dominant play, nor did they create regular openings to score. Instead, they remained on the back foot comfortably, and matters only changed after substitutions rolled in.
Mourinho brought on Endrick and Arda Guler at the hour mark, replacing Vinicius and Dumfries, and thereby increased the attacking intensity. With Guler on the field, the team finally had a creative spark and Endrick constantly threatened the box.
Slightly later, the coach brought on Bernardo Silva for Aurelien Tchouameni, handing the team far more stability and control in midfield and restoring some level of order.
The arrivals of Carlos Espi and Alvaro Carreras in the 78th minute finally freed Real Madrid and they managed to pull off the comeback.
Every single one of the players who came on played a significant part in the comeback, be it the stability and creativity Silva and Guler offered or the attacking solutions Endrick and Espi brought. Even Carreras was an upgrade over Marc Cucurella.
How much disarray is too much disarray?
Given how Real Madrid’s midfield has looked this season, there will inevitably come a point when Jose Mourinho pulls the plug on the Valverde-Tchouameni plan.
The manager currently sees the duo as his best defensive midfield combination for the big games, but the disarray in midfield is growing with every game and the duo are unable to provide the control Real Madrid requires.
A breaking point, in that sense, will certainly arrive, but the bigger question is how much disarray is required for the manager to pull the plug on a plan that is clearly not working.
Against Roma last night, the game changed completely after Bernardo Silva came on for Tchouameni, and that alone shows how glaring the midfield problem currently is.
Not only did the Tchouameni-Valverde pairing struggle to keep possession, but they offered no attacking edge or creative spark and even looked shaky defensively.
There is an urgent need to bring the likes of Guler and Bernardo Silva into the starting dynamics for Real Madrid, and only time will tell when Mourinho will decide he has seen enough.
