With the 2017/2018 La Liga campaign coming to a close and Champion’s League days away, Real Madrid have their hands full. Here we’ll discuss possible formations and lineups Zidane will use against Villarreal.
The 4-3-3
Real Madrid’s match against Villarreal will be the last of the season. It will be a great opportunity to give our starters match sharpness in preparations for Liverpool. Zidane will put out the strongest starting 11.
Taking into account the performances of the players recently, the strongest squad will work best in a 4-3-3. Zidane will be looking to utilize the power of the Ronaldo-Benz-Bale trio up top. The match will test the functionality of our players before the final.
Using the 4-3-3, we’ll have one our best players this season, Keylor Navas in net. Protecting him will be Marcelo, Ramos, Varane, and Carvajal in defense. The three midfielders will be Casemiro, Kroos, and Modric. And our attacking prowess will involve Ronaldo, Benzema, and Bale.
Some of the players have been recovering from injuries and haven’t seen the pitch in the past few weeks. The match allows our key player Ronaldo, to hit a goal scoring stride headed into the finals. Additionally it bring other players up to speed and allows them to gain a rhythm in unison.
All of the starters will not play the whole match. Modric especially, will need to come off after the first half to rest. Ronaldo as well will be removed with plenty time left in the game. In defense there is high potential for either Marcelo or Ramos to be subbed out as well.
The 4-4-2
The 4-4-2 has been a staple of the season. Pushing the team through various matches. Though for some reason I don’t perceive this formation being used tomorrow, or at least not in the beginning of the match.
In the 4-4-2 we’ll see Navas in net. Then a back four of Marcelo, Ramos, Varane, and Carvajal. In front of them will be Modric in left mid, Kroos and Casemiro in the middle, and Bale at right mid. This is followed up with Bale and Ronaldo up top.
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The 4-4-2 allows Zidane more variation with his choices. Knowing that all the starters won’t play the whole match, Zidane has a wealth of choices to bring into the game. Isco,Asensio, and Kovacic can be slotted into the game at some point or even start. Nacho can cover in the defense. There is even possibility for Mayoral to see playing time.
It is up to Zidane to either play the strongest squad or rest all of them for the finals and just finish off the La Liga season with a B team. Zidane knows what’s best and has a game plan for this match.
We’ll have to trust in Zidane as always.