Real Madrid: 3 keys to victory against Barcelona on LaLiga’s Matchday 10

2. Stick with Real Madrid’s tried and tested 4-3-3

The very first thing to note for Carlo Ancelotti is to let go of the experiments. El Clasico isn’t a game to take chances. The margin of error at a full-house Camp Nou is next to none and he should field his players out in Real Madrid’s traditional shape which is a 4-3-3 formation that provides good playing width and Los Blancos has used that width very well in the recent past.

The second most important thing about Real Madrid’s 4-3-3 is the impact it has on the midfield. Real’s central midfielders express themselves the best when they play in a compact enough midfield three. One may recall the game against Espanyol where the wide usage of this generation’s best central midfielders muted their impact throughout the game. Don Carlo needs to make sure that the same isn’t repeated.

The midfield battle is always a key one and more so in important fixtures like El Clasico. This is the one single thing that cannot be compromised on especially when there are players like Memphis Depay and Ansu Fati lurking ahead of you or Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong playing across from you. 4-3-3 is thus a vital key to success.