Real Madrid: 3 reasons defense can be even better next season

Continuity with Ferland Mendy

Real Madrid have used the back four of Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, and Dani Carvajal so often over the years. It is one of the best back fours in the history of the modern game, and those four men have won Champions League title after Champions League title together.

But the 2019-2020 marked a necessary changing of the guard at one of those positions, as new signing Ferland Mendy usurped Marcelo as the starting left back. Marcelo still had a role to play and came up big in a few games, such as in the March Clasico win over Barcelona.

Mendy, though, was even better, establishing himself as the best defensive left back in the world. Per WhoScored.com, the former Lyon star was dribbled past just 0.2 times per 90 minutes for an even better mark than Raphael Varane’s 0.3. And it’s harder for a fullback to average that low of a number than a center back.

In his second season at Real Madrid, Mendy can only get better. His offensive game keeps improving and will be worth watching closely, but his defending should also get better and better as he continues to develop a positive rapport with Casemiro and Sergio Ramos.

Continuity is so underrated when building a team that can win a Champions League title, and it’s especially key in defense. Real Madrid, of course, know this well.