Heading into February, Real Madrid has the elusive trophy treble in sight. Under Carlo Ancelotti, the team has already won the Spanish Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia. Having secured a four-point lead over Sevilla in the league, they are on course towards regaining LaLiga after two seasons. However, the Champions League is the holy grail for Los Blancos.
Some may argue that Kylian Mbappe’s failed transfer has set them back in Europe. However, this is Real Madrid, and are expected to win the Champions League each season come what may. So how can they achieve their goal before Kylian Mbappe’s imminent arrival next season?
Real Madrid’s defense needs improvement
Make no mistake, Alaba and Militao’s center-back partnership has been better than most people expected. However, they still need to add that defensive solidity required to win those big games in Champions League. Despite being top of the league standings, there are eight teams with better xGA than Real Madrid. In the Champions League, teams like Bayern, City, Liverpool, and Chelsea have better xGA than Madrid.
One of the major reasons for the defensive lapses is the absence of Dani Carvajal due to injury. Lucas Vazquez’s positional awareness isn’t his best suit. As a result, Real Madrid has shipped most of the goals from the right. Carlo will be hoping Carvajal remains fit for the rest of the season as his tenacity and fighting spirit are paramount to the team’s success.
The wingers not named Vinicius Jr. must step-up
The astronomical rise of Vinicius Jr. in terms of goal scoring has put Real Madrid in good stead. He has already scored 15 goals across competitions. His deadly partnership with Benzema has helped Real Madrid wriggle out of precarious situations numerous times this season. However, other forwards in the team have not been able to support the duo in a way Carlo would have envisaged.
We have to consider the seven goals scored by Marco Asensio with a caveat that it includes a hattrick against Mallorca. He has yet to achieve the level of consistency expected of a player so highly thought off when he burst onto the scenes. The rest of the wingers/forwards have a combined total of eight goals. It is time for some of these players to put their hands up so that the opposition has more than just two players to be wary of.
Make optimum utilization of Valverde-Camavinga
The royal midfield of Kroos, Casemiro, and Modric is running the show once again. Carlo will continue to rely on the trio for the big games without even an iota of doubt. However, we must not ignore the fact that they are cumulatively almost 100 years old. We all witnessed last season, how injury and fatigue ravaged Real Madrid to the point that our midfield was running on its last legs against Chelsea in the Champions League Semis.
Carlo has to trust Camavinga and Fede Valverde in games where KCM is not imperative. Resting even one of the three and bringing on the other from the bench would make a world of difference. It dissipates the fatigue factor and allows KCM to weave its magic in big games.
Real Madrid is at a crucial juncture of the season. We can see the passion and ambition on the player’s face in every match. They have already given us a few joyous moments this season. We fans want more. Because we are the fans of the greatest club on the planet. It does not matter that Mbappe did not arrive this summer. What matters now is will he arrive at a Champions League-winning team next season?