How Zinedine Zidane has revived Real Madrid

This time last year, Santiago Solari guided Real Madrid toward a season-defining week. The league was over, but they faced Barcelona and Ajax in their final bids for silverware. Just a little under a year on, Zinedine Zidane faces a similar task.

Currently a point clear in La Liga and into the Round of 16 in the Champions League, Zinedine Zidane’s hunt for trophies this season has hit a season-defining point. In the coming weeks, the Frenchman must guide Los Blancos past Barcelona – in a game that could set the tone for the remainder of the league campaign – as well as best Pep Guardiola‘s Manchester City.

As it stands, Real Madrid has had a largely successful campaign to date. Barring the exit from the Copa del Rey, the side lifted the Supercopa and has enjoyed one of their better seasons in recent memory. However, the last few games have shown a few cracks.

Los Blancos slipped up against La Real in the cup and Celta Vigo at home in recent games although both featured rotated sides and came in a period that saw four games in the matter of a couple of weeks.

Around the same time last year, Solari’s Real faced the task of Ajax in the Champions and then Valverde’s Barcelona in the Copa. Real Madrid was humiliated by both sides – ultimately sealing the fate of the Argentine manager.

The squad around that time largely consisted of the same one Zidane has now, with the exception of Eden Hazard, Fede Valverde, and Ferland Mendy. Of course, this came at a time when Sergio Reguilon was impressing at left-back.

Under Solari, a lot of core players looked a shadow of themselves. Marcelo was riding the bench, Modric looked exhausted, Casemiro couldn’t keep his spot, Kroos wasn’t the same, Gareth Bale was anonymous, and Sergio Ramos was frustrating; even new recruit Thibaut Courtois looked to be something of a dud. The only bright spots for the side was the emergence of Vinicius Júnior and the man upfront, Karim Benzema.

A year later under Zidane? Those same core members look revitalized. Modric has rediscovered his best, Toni Kroos is playing the best football of his career, Casemiro has become the best defensive mid in the world, and the squad looks more united. Paired with the emergence of Ferland Mendy and return to form of Thibaut Courtois, Zidane has well and truly revived Real.

This is quite impressive when you consider after his initial return, the side still looked largely finished, with the struggles carrying into the early part of the season. But Zidane has evolved the side and is finding great success.

There is less focus on individual brilliance and more focus on collective and solidarity. Gone are the days of outscoring opponents and in came the strength in holding out an opponent with strong play on defense.

This season, Real Madrid has had the best defensive set-up in Europe, something not said often when it comes to this club.

Alongside the shift in focus, Zidane has made vital changes to the starting eleven. His integration of Fede Valverde has proven to be huge – the Uruguayan has established himself as a vital player in Zidane’s squad – and he has also allowed for Modric to rest more often.

He has also switched Marcelo out for summer signing, Ferland Mendy. The former Lyon man has been a big factor in the teams defensive solidity helping Sergio Ramos who often covers ground left by the Brazilian.

What Zidane has managed to do with largely the same options available is impressive. Perhaps even more so when you consider he has been without star man Eden Hazard for much of the season.

Madridistas can also feel far more at ease, the side has gone from looking like it will enter a long and arduous transition, to looking like a side that is not far from being the all-conquering Real Madrid they all knew. Perhaps, buoyed even further when they look at the continual issues surrounding rivals Atlético Madrid and Barcelona.

Thanks to the calm mentality and careful planning of Zidane and president Florentino Perez – Real have turned a corner within a year. Not so long ago, they looked a side in need of a complete reboot and now, the side looks more than capable of competing.

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