Pinpoint Passing
One of Alaba’s biggest assets that we haven’t seen from previous defenders at Real Madrid is his ability to pass the ball long with incredible accuracy. His passing opens up the play and catches the opponents off-guard. We saw that throughout all the matches he has played but it was more evident in Real Madrid’s match when they took on Mallorca as he was given the space required to look for the passes forward and he did so magnificently.
He’s a defender with the mind of a midfielder when it comes to reading the game and choosing the right pass. This is precisely why he can also play as a midfielder if required during the course of the campaign.
During the first few matches, the Austrian was placed at left-back and he looked like a natural as he’s already used to moving the ball forward but this time, we saw him up front a lot and he was able to grab two assists.
As a central defender, not too much has changed. He is still bringing the ball forward but he’s able to launch the ball forward usually to the wingers and it completely opens up the midfield and gives players such as Vinicius Junior or Karim Benzema a chance to use their speed and cause problems for the opposition defense. This has given Ancelotti a lot to work with as it adds another element to the game especially when they need the game to be played at a quicker pace.