Real Madrid: 5 takeaways from a lethargic 0-0 draw vs. Villarreal

Isco can have a (slightly) greater role

Isco was one of the substitutions made by Carlo Ancelotti that can be filed under the “too little, too late” column. Because at the 80th minute when the former Malaga man entered the pitch, it was already obvious that 1) Real Madrid needed an attacking spark creatively and 2) they were not going to get that from Marco Asensio in this game.

When Isco took to the pitch, he improved Los Blancos noticeably. He progressed the ball, tried to pass it into dangerous areas, and even got a header on target by being in the right spot to connect with an Eden Hazard cross.

I am not going to propose Isco as some grand solution, but he is a capable player who has not performed badly this season. He has a great track record under Carlo Ancelotti and other managers, and we saw him boss a half against Levante this season. Isco is a superior player to Asensio, based on everything they have done in their careers and in the last couple of seasons, and you’d think that Ancelotti would have more planned for him than 10 minutes here or there.

Asensio is the kind of player who can look great against teams that stink defensively. Isco is the kind of player who can help you unlock tight teams in the middle areas of the pitch and in the attacking third, just outside the penalty box. It seems like Ancelotti needs to get back to an understanding of the skill-sets of the players he has in these attacking midfield roles. He has done a good job of giving them confidence, but now it is his job to reassess his tactical ideas and actually give them the tools to succeed over a period of time.