Real Madrid and Villarreal played out a 0-0 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu on LaLiga’s Matchday 7. In truth, Los Blancos can be happy that they managed to get a point out of this match – though, of course, Real are never satisfied with only one point – because they were outplayed during many stretches of this match. Without a few key defensive performances, they would have lost this match by multiple goals.
Whereas Real Madrid showed fluid attacking in their other league encounters, they were out of ideas and slow to attack, just like last season. It was a step backwards for Real, and Madridistas were left asking questions of Carlo Ancelotti’s pre and in-game tactical decisions.
Here are five takeaways from Real’s disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Unai Emery’s Villarreal.
Carlo Ancelotti made a foolish mistake at left back
We have seen Nacho Fernandez start at left back a couple of times this season, and there is actually some logic in starting him at this position in one specific scenario. And that scenario is when Eden Hazard starts on the right side of the attack in a drifting “free role”, forcing Fede Valverde wide. The right back also shifts, meaning Nacho can tuck in to make the formation unbalanced.
But normally, the Real Madrid 4-3-3 requires fullbacks who can attack and overlap. This team needs ball carriers who can quickly transition back in defense. And ideally, these fullbacks can cross.
Nacho is not a player who can do any of these things. He is slow. He is not able to win one-on-ones. And he cannot cross with his left from the left-hand side consistently.
When Real do not have enough attacking contributions from the fullbacks, it sets the attackers up to fail against better defensive sides. Look at Vinicius Junior, for example. This was his most subdued performance of the season. There are other reasons for this, but one reason was Nacho’s inability to stretch Villarreal or provide a wide attacking threat that enabled Vini to have the space to make penetrative runs. Vini was isolated and stuck, even losing repeated one-on-ones to Juan “Elbow” Foyth, of all players.
Ancelotti decided to start Nacho over Miguel Gutierrez, perhaps for defensive solidity. He got none of that solidity from Nacho, who was exposed badly. Nacho was the worst player in Real Madrid’s back four on Saturday night. And as you’d expect, he offered nothing to the attack. Strike one for Ancelotti.
Real Madrid have their center backs to thank
A quick shoutout to Thibaut Courtois for making two more massive saves to keep Real Madrid in a match, but I need to save most of my words of praise for the two starting center backs, David Alaba and Eder Militao. They have been good all season long, with Alaba showing no need for an adjustment period at the most high-pressure club in the world.
Real have defensive issues, but that should not be conflated with issues in central defense. The defensive issues are structural or in midfield. Alaba and Militao have excelled despite the myriad of issues in front of them, and they were at their fire-extinguishing best on Saturday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Militao is so good at winning one-on-ones and beating attackers in off-the-ball chess matches. Alaba has been the more active of the two, reading the pitch with interceptions and making the kinds of tackles that only an experienced, world-class defender can make.
Truly, Real Madrid deserved to lose this match against Villarreal. But they did not, thanks to these two colossal center backs. According to WhoScored.com, Militao had four tackles and four clearances, while Alaba had two tackles, two interceptions, and five clearances.
There are many things Real must fix if they want to be highly competitive in the Champions League this season, but the starting center backs are not among the list of problems.
Marco Asensio did not stand a chance
Marco Asensio did not play well at all. Let me get that out of the way first. I think it is fair to say that he was atrocious and should have been subbed off sooner for Isco. But having said all of that, I also think it is important to examine why he struggled so much and come to an understanding that Carlo Ancelotti did not put him in a good position to succeed.
Real Madrid started Fede Valverde at right back and Rodrygo Goes as a right winger. That right there highlights a major problem. Fede is not a right back. I know he works hard and has the heart to contribute anywhere, but he has zero clue what he is doing at that position. Rodrygo at right winger is a farce that needs to end soon. He has the technical quality, effort, and tactical awareness to not embarrass himself, but his impact is close to zero in many games at this position. He is too wide, and he struggles to truly combine or take players on.
So basically, Marco Asensio was starting as a left-footed No. 10 who drifts in from the right onto his left foot in a side that had nothing going for it on the right flank. He was starting as a 10 for a team that had one of the most embarrassingly disorganized and ineffective presses that we have ever seen in LaLiga Santander. Such was the low point we saw in the first half before Ancelotti subbed Rodrygo and made the ill-advised decision to switch Asensio back to the right flank.
Asensio had little service, no space, and no understanding with many of his teammates. He holds some responsibility for his performance, but against an opponent like Villarreal where a gameplan must be carefully crafted to create chances for a 10 in the middle of the pitch, Ancelotti failed his player miserably.
Casemiro takes a tumble
Real Madrid won 2-1 against Valencia last week thanks to a furious late comeback in which Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema both scored AND assisted. Therefore, Casemiro’s horrific performance did not receive as many headlines.
But after yet another woeful display – and in a draw, no less – Madridistas are starting to ask serious questions of Casemiro. He may have actually been marginally better this weekend as compared to last weekend, but he was still below average. Casemiro had sloppy giveaways, contributed nothing to the build-up, took another infuriatingly lousy shot, and did not offer enough defensively to make up for his lack of attacking influence.
Combine these two performances against Valencia and Villarreal, and you have a defensive midfielder who is hurting his cause. For years, Casemiro has seen his name written in permanent marker in the starting XI. I don’t think that has changed just yet, but if Casemiro keeps playing this poorly, then Carlo Ancelotti may have no choice but to start considering some other options in midfield. And with a few playmakers and the new signing Eduardo Camavinga, he will have those options once Toni Kroos returns from injury. David Alaba can play in midfield, too, as unlikely as that scenario may be.
I would not proclaim the sky is falling for Casemiro or anything, but we must admit that, for the first time, the Brazilian star is in a situation where he has to prove his spot. As many fans have noted, sustained rest -as in, more than just one match every six months or so – could help the veteran midfielder stay on top.
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.