Real Madrid: When and how must Carlo Ancelotti use Luka Jovic

Real Madrid paid 60 million euros to sign Luka Jovic in 2019 from Eintracht Frankfurt. His transfer to the Spanish capital has been nothing short of a colossal failure due to multiple reasons. Zinedine Zidane didn’t really show much confidence in Jovic, he warmed the bench more often than not, he struggled with injuries and he didn’t really settle down well in his new environment.

In short, his first two seasons at Real Madrid was a difficult chapter but everything seems to be changing now for Jovic under the new manager, Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti has been very clear with what he wants and what he expects from each player, unlike Zinedine Zidane.

The latter once stated that Jovic is the future of Real Madrid while barely showing any faith in the Serbian. He even stated that Jovic is part of the team while the player had already flown to Frankfurt for his loan move. Unlike Zidane’s diplomatic words, Ancelotti has been upfront with Jovic and the rest of the players.

The Italian made it clear from day one that he wants to build an attacking system and will demand more from players like Eden Hazard, Rodrygo, Luka Jovic, and Vinicius. While Hazard, Rodrygo, and Vinicius have gotten their fair share of opportunities to deliver, Jovic seems to be the only forward excluding Mariano ( who is not part of Ancelotti’s plan) who is yet to get his fair shot.

Luka Jovic received chants from Real Madrid fans against Mallorca

Despite the limited minutes Luka Jovic has received, the Serbian has been a threat in almost every game he’s featured in. Against Levante, he nearly scored from a towering header that was saved by Aitor Fernandez. At the Mestalla, he kept the defenders busy to free up Karim Benzema for his goal. And against Mallorca, he pulled off a spectacular acrobatic finish that was saved.

In the final few minutes against Mallorca, the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu started chanting ” Jovic, Jovic, Jovic” to cheer him on. Everything seems to be improving for the Serbian who has been assured a more important role by Carlo Ancelotti himself.

"When he is tired ( Benzema) we will put Jovic in, who is doing very well. It is a difficult competition for Jovic, but what little he plays he is doing very well. Today, against Valencia. When Karim needs rest, he will play ”.- Via AS"

Carlo Ancelotti plans on using Luka Jovic when Karim Benzema needs a rest but when and how must Ancelotti use Jovic is a big question. Let’s address that in the following paragraph.

What does Luka Jovic offer? Let’s talk about his 2018-19 season with Eintracht Frankfurt which made Madrid sign him. He scored 17 league goals that season in the Bundesliga, from which 13 were first-time shots.

Luka Jovic plays better when he has another striker

The Serbian specialises in first-touch finishes, which means that he does not need to create a room with extra touches or needs to reposition himself before going for a shot. Any angle or distance, left or right foot it does not matter for Luka Jovic. He gets the ball, takes a touch, and shoots.

But then again, Jovic struggles when he plays as a lone striker. The 23-year-old likes to play in a two-striker set-up. When Jovic does play in a two-striker set-up, the Serbian offers tremendous versatility. He either keeps the backline busy with his off-the-ball movement which creates space for other teammates (for example Benzema’s goal against Valencia) or he moves into dangerous areas to score goals.

There is a usual misconception that Luka Jovic is a pure fox in the box but that is far from the truth. The Serbian likes dropping deep ( if he is paired with another striker) and enjoys involving himself in the build-up play and is an effective dribbler in tight spaces.

However, Ancelotti wants to use Jovic whenever Benzema rests. So the option of a two-striker set-up seems to be off the cards for the moment. An ideal pairing for Luka Jovic in the coming games ( if he is to start) in a 4-3-3 formation would be alongside Vinicius Jr and Eden Hazard.

Jovic could get an opportunity to shine in the next Champions League match

Eden Hazard’s presence in the line-up would be of great use for Jovic. The Belgian has been Real Madrid’s most creative player so far despite not being fully fit. He created six chances against Valencia and is slowly getting back to his best. Hazard’s ability to create chances out of nothing coupled with Jovic’s positioning and shot accuracy would be a treat to watch.

But when should Carlo Ancelotti consider playing Luka Jovic? Real Madrid now prepare to take on Unai Emery’s Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu. It’s going to be a real test for Ancelotti against the Yellow Submarines and it’s unlikely that he would consider rotating his squad. This means that Jovic in most cases would not get a start.

However, given how this Madrid side has transformed into a free-scoring team, if we’re up a 2-3 goals in the first half itself, Ancelotti could consider introducing Jovic early in the second half to give Benzema some rest and provide the Serbian a handful of minutes.

In my opinion, Luka Jovic’s best chance will come against Sherriff Tiraspol in the UEFA Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti would most likely start Jovic in that game along with other players who have not received much game time such as Andriy Lulin, Isco, Marco Asensio, and Jesus Vallejo.

We’ve seen the 23-year-old get close to scoring many times this season but against Sherriff Tiraspol, Luka Jovic will have to take his chances to prove a point to Carlo Ancelotti and the Bernabeu faithful who still believe in the Serbian international.

It’s time for Jovic to go out and there and take his chances because more opportunities are going to be hard to come by given Karim Benzema’s phenomenal form.