What is behind Real Madrid’s impressive turn around in form?

The loss against Mallorca seems like a distant memory at this point,.Real Madrid have been on a tear as of late and look to be improving game by game. Defensive solidarity and a free-flowing attack, what has seen this spike in form and how sustainable is it?

Considering that it is not even December yet, Real Madrid has endured a whirlwind of a journey this season. From the very bleak looking preseason to the sputtering performances in the first few league encounters – Real fans have already had plenty of ups and downs. After the team was humiliated in Paris, embarrassed by Brugge and outworked by Mallorca, it seemed as if Los Blancos were going to have another one of those seasons like a Shakespearean play – the odd moment of joy coincided by moments of gut-flipping misery.

The away games against Mallorca and Galatasaray in particular saw considerable pressure placed on Zidane. There were questions on his ability to lead this new project, doubts about his tactical nous – it looked as if the shining hero was quickly becoming a victim of his own success. Since then, Real Madrid’s form has taken a complete U-turn.

After fielding 12 different line-ups in the opening 12 games, it seems that Zidane has found his most favoured starting eleven. With Courtois in goal, Zidane has stuck with the old guard in  Carvajal, Ramos, Varane and Marcelo, the midfield is largely the same with Kroos and Casemiro being joined by Federico Valverde instead of Luka Modric. Up front, Zidane seems to favour Hazard and Benzema whilst the right flank seems to be a toss up between Rodrygo and Gareth Bale.

Rodrygo has shone for Real whenever he has featured this season, bringing a direct approach with a willingness to defend, the former Santos man is the current crowd favourite on the right. However, despite all of his potential, the experience and resumé of Gareth Bale cannot be ignored. When on song, the Welshman is one of the finest attackers at the club and brings an unmatchable pace and power to the Real attack.

When looking into the specifics of the side, another player that has won the affection of the Bernabeu faithful is Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan has given the midfield new life with his relentless running and coolness on the ball, easing the burden on the aging Luka Modric.

In fact, Real’s midfield has arguably not looked this solid for the past couple of years. The presence of the 21-year-old has meant that Toni Kroos is able to push up defensively knowing he has both Casemiro and Valverde behind him mopping up. Fede not only wins the ball back but he is also very capable in helping circulate the ball as the team looks to get on the offensive. With Fede picking up on those duties, it has also allowed Casemiro to do what he does best: be one of the best destroyers in Europe.

The Brazilian is now sitting between the two centre-backs, giving Real Madrid the defensive solidarity that has seen them keep a clean-sheet in every single game since losing to Mallorca. Casemiro in particular has been in fine form, nobody in the entirety of La Liga is completing more than his 3.7 tackles per 90 or making more than his 2.4 interceptions.

The newfound partnership between Casemiro and Valverde has been incredibly fruitful for Zidane. The two have played a total of 7 games together, in those games they’ve won 6 and drawn 1, the team have scored 22 goals whilst conceding just 2. The new midfield combination has not only allowed for more defensive solidarity but it has also allowed for players like Toni Kroos to unlock their offensive capability to the fullest.

In the attack, Real have also seen a step up in Eden Hazard’s form as each game passes. Against Eibar, the Belgian put in another solid performance as he completed the most dribbles with 6, won the most duels and won the team a penalty. Coupled with the sustained brilliance of Karim Benzema and Hazard is beginning to find his feet in Madrid after a slow start, it seems just a matter of time until the end product begins to flow for the former Chelsea man.

Whilst the individual performances have improved across the board, Real fans must commend the man in charge, Zinedine Zidane. His tweaks to the tactics have proven to really helped the team turn a corner. The Frenchman has finally got the team to cohesively and effectively press in a man-to-man pressing system.

This change has been hugely effective, with Real having scored 9 of their last 15 goals in the opening exchanges of a game, simply put, Zidane has instructed his men to strangle opponents from the off. However, the team gradually then let-up before appearing to be completely calm in possession with press resistance being completely solid. This versatility has worked in varying games, compare the game against Galatasaray at home to the one against Eibar.

Against the Turkish side, Real were simply too much for them to handle whilst against Eibar, Zidane’s men were simply so pass-fluid that the high-press of Eibar was an absolute non-factor. Real are now playing some of the best football that has been seen in sometime, with his favoured eleven sorted, Zidane is implementing his tactics with relative ease.

Consistent clean-sheets and big score-lines are something that Real fans have been craving for. Having watched rivals make light-work of these sides, frustration grew when Real would often make a deal out of a result that should have been a formality. The opposition may not have been at the highest calibre but more often than not in the past, instead of winning by three or more to nil, it seemed Los Blancos would score three but always concede two – this solidarity has been missing.

Also consider that this Real Madrid side will only get better. Players are in good form but are still yet to reach optimum, with that in mind, think of just how good this side could be when firing on all cylinders. In July, none of this seemed possible. The current transition once looked painful, however, Zidane and Co. are showing signs that this side can contend sooner rather than later.

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