Real Madrid lost to Shakhtar Donetsk twice in the 2020-2021 Champions League group stages, but with Wednesday’s 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu, they were able to avenge those losses with back-to-back wins of their own in the current campaign.
That said, while Los Blancos were dominant in the 5-0 win in Kyiv, they were far from dominant on Wednesday. You may even say they were lucky to get the three points, because Shakhtar played the better football at times and came very close to scoring a second or even third goal.
Let’s ask some burning questions of Real Madrid after this win, with rivals Rayo Vallecano next up on Saturday night.
Should Lucas Vazquez play more at RW?
Real Madrid fans may have been a little surprised to see Lucas Vazquez named the starting right winger with Rodrygo Goes and Gareth Bale out injured. He was certainly among the options to play, but a two-striker formation with Luka Jovic or a formation with Eden Hazard in the free role seemed more likely.
But Carlo Ancelotti ended up making the right call in the end. Vazquez’s defensive stability definitely helped, especially since Dani Carvajal had an awful game.
Furthermore, Vazquez was fantastic in the attack. He was second on the team with three key passes and was unlucky not to register an assist. Luka Modric had two good chances from Vazquez’s passing, including one gilt-edged chance early in the match.
It was another positive showing from the Galician, who continues to prove doubters wrong. With Rodrygo out and nobody else capable of providing Vazquez’s injury, he truly may be the most consistent option on the right wing. If Carvajal steps up, maybe the duo can put together some performances akin to their brilliance in the first Derbi of the 2020-2021 season.
Is it time to change things up in midfield?
Real Madrid have a world-class midfield trio in Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro. But on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu, only Kroos played above average. Modric’s influence on the match was minimal, and he squandered his chances. Casemiro worked hard but did not work effectively, making bizarre passes and leaving the center backs exposed with some puzzling positioning.
This trio is still a winning formula for Real Madrid, so I am not saying that Carlo Ancelotti should make permanent or drastic changes. But Real have a trio of talented young midfielders just waiting for more opportunities. Fede Valverde is already a top player, Eduardo Camavinga can build off what he showed in his LaLiga and Champions League debuts against Celta Vigo and Inter Milan, and Antonio Blanco feels like a forgotten man.
These three players – well, Fede when he is healthy again – need minutes and can help the team. Modric needs a lot more rest. Casemiro does, too. And Kroos is showing signs of overuse this year, having just come back from pubalgia after fighting issues to close the 2020-2021 season before being Germany’s star man in the Euros.
Ancelotti must be proactive. Real Madrid must throw in new wrinkles in midfield and give the young men opportunities. Valverde is too good to spend too much time sitting out. Camavinga is an investment in the future and the next big thing. Blanco reminds fans of Xabi Alonso. There is so much talent in the midfield, even beyond the legendary trio.
What is Carlo Ancelotti doing differently?
I would file this question as a “leading question”, because I know those of you who are clued into what’s happening tactically will say “nothing good”. If you take out Vinicius Junior’s emerging superstardom and Karim Benzema’s continued superlative play, the Real Madrid attack is actually even less effective. They have the same issues with patterns of play in the final third as the last two seasons, but they have even less possession and control of matches, which makes their defense more vulnerable.
Look at how Ancelotti utilized Luka Modric and Toni Kroos on Wednesday. Or even this weekend against Elche. These two players should be on the ball far more and exerting more control on the match. Real Madrid should be dictating the tempo, not playing passively and waiting for Vini to create something out of thin air.
This approach may actually help Vini, but a lot of Vini’s goals have been created beyond transition. It’s been him beating multiple defenders in a tight area, leaving someone for dead with his pace, or scoring from an unreal angle/situation.
Ancelotti hasn’t actually elevated the attack. If he’s elevated anything or anybody, then it is the new superstar at left winger. Credit him for that. But when you watch Real Madrid on the ball, how can you say he has demonstrably improved the team’s attack from last season? The team is actually averaging fewer xG per 90 than last season, 1.62 vs. 1.55. So statistically, you cannot say there is an improvement.
While Ancelotti is a good manager who has provided benefits to Real, especially in comparison to the other options available this summer, he still needs to execute the key task of providing this team with sustained patterns of play that lead to consistent attacking success.
What should we make of Eder Militao’s mistakes?
Eder Militao is one of the best young defenders in world football and will soon be a truly world-class central defender for Real Madrid. He has put together some true masterclasses in the last few weeks, but he was culpable in the goal Shakhtar Donetsk scored on Wednesday when he was ball-watching, failing to mark the eventual scorer. Later that game, he also got beat by a through ball and then did not block a shot that made its way to Thibaut Courtois.
I would not worry at all about the mistakes Militao makes. They are normal. Not just for a 23-year-old center back, but for any center back. Nobody is perfect in central defense, and a player can be amazing for 85 minutes, only for a mistake to be punished in the 86th after 85 minutes of perfection. And then everyone loses their minds. It’s a tough job, no doubt.
I also want to highlight one more thing specific to Miltao. He is the one tasked with stepping up and making tackles, meaning if there is a breach as a result of a risk taken to win the ball, Militao is more likely to stand out. On top of that, since Real Madrid do not control matches like they should, the center backs have much more work to do. Especially Militao, who does not get to benefit from playing on the same side as Ferland Mendy.
Keep all of this in mind with Militao. As long as he keeps getting the small details that require his attention, which will come with time, all will be well. In all, he had a good game against Shakhtar, even if he was not as flawless as in his last few matches.
When will Luka Jovic get a start?
Luka Jovic finally got on the pitch for Real Madrid. Due to a knee injury, he was not able to play this past weekend, so Mariano Diaz got a start and bagged an assist. Mariano is now injured, and Karim Benzema had to be subbed in the 78th minute against Shakhtar Donetsk with some discomfort. (Let’s wait for more information before discussing his situation.)
So Jovic entered the pitch. He played for about 15 minutes. In those 15 minutes, Jovic touched the ball eight times, won an aerial duel, drew two fouls, and completed five of six passes. It was a decent cameo appearance from a player who last saw the pitch a month ago, when he recorded the lone assist in an embarrassing 2-1 loss to Espanyol.
There is no doubting Jovic’s talent. Multiple times this season, he has impressed when on the pitch, even in limited minutes. Madridistas are waiting for the Serbian international to get a start, but it seems like there is always something in the way.
Jovic may not start this weekend against Rayo Vallecano. The fixtures afterwards are going to be even more difficult. Perhaps a start against Sheriff is in order when they play a second time? Jovic did look great in his 24 minutes against them in the surprise loss, as he was unlucky not to have scored a point-saving goal.
Resting Benzema is tough, but it is now doable with Vinicius Junior playing so well. Let’s see if Jovic is an underrated beneficiary of Vini’s emerging greatness. Rayo, Granada, and Sheriff to close the month could be three of his best chances to start before the year ends, because the December fixtures all look intense, with the possible exception of Cadiz on Dec. 19.