3 ways Carlo Ancelotti can improve the floundering Real Madrid attack
Utilize Marco Asensio and Gareth Bale in goal-scoring areas
Rodrygo Goes is more of a right-footed left winger, and when he starts on the right-hand side, he can’t cut inside for shooting opportunities as effectively. So while he is a valid option on the right wing, we will ignore him for a second and focus on two players who can bring goals to the table (Rodrygo at RW is more of a wide playmaker).
Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio are Real Madrid’s left-footed forwards. Both are experienced players with great shooting ability, and while they have their flaws, Real need these two men in order to win LaLiga and be as competitive as possible in the Champions League.
Asensio is the main option at the position due to his seven goals in LaLiga this season, Ancelotti’s trust in him, and the likelihood that he will be healthy. He has come up with important goals, but he has also held the team back and made it necessary for him to be the hero from beyond the box. Why? Because his all-around game is lacking due to his pace post-injury, his defensive deficiencies, and his hesitancy on the ball.
To counter that, Real Madrid need to use the aforementioned young midfielders, keep Modric fresh, overlap with whoever is at right back, and do all of that to get Asensio into shooting positions. Asensio, for his part, could improve his finishing from easier positions, but we know how valuable he is outside the box with that left foot of his.
Get him close to the center of the top of the area, and watch him shine. If he is isolated too wide or too deep, he is out of the game. If the other team has time to recover and close shooting angles, he is equally useless. Asensio is a tough customer to deal with as a manager in terms of setting him up to succeed tactically, but Ancelotti must figure this out.
As for Bale, he is a better version of Asensio in terms of athleticism, technique, and awareness, though he is not quite as likely to score from range. The process with Bale should be the same, albeit Ancelotti has more grace to give him instructions and to trust that his football IQ will lead him to opportunities for himself and teammates.
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Either way, Real Madrid need these wingers to be productive and to help score or otherwise produce goals. Benzema and Vinicius have already done enough carrying, and the responsibility is starting to wear thin on them physically.