Real Madrid: 5 things Carlo Ancelotti got horribly wrong in El Clasico

Poor tactical system

Watching Real Madrid play in El Clasico was catastrophic for every Madridista watching, and rightfully so. Los Blancos were outclassed in every way imaginable, and it was simply a cat and mouse game.

For 90 minutes, Barcelona looked the more comfortable side as they dominated possession, countered ferociously, and defended solidly at the back. Barca executed their plan to perfection, and the same cannot be said about Madrid.

It was unclear what Ancelotti’s game plan was going into this match, and we did not see an actual tactical structure from his side.

At most times throughout the match, Madrid attempted to press high up the pitch and use Vinicius and Rodrgyo as outlets to break through the lines of the Barcelona defense.

There were some decent chances to come off the back of counterattacks from Ancelotti’s side in the opening half, but Barcelona knew exactly how to cope with Madrid’s game plan.

Ironically enough, the Blaugrana scored most of their goals off the back of counterattacks, and this is something that Ancelotti builds his tactical identity off.

When it comes to Madrid’s defending throughout the match, it was utterly shambolic. They were caught out multiple times on the back of defense-splitting passes or the sheer pace from the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele.

There was no structure to Ancelotti’s tactical setup, and overall his side looked lost on the pitch. Xavi’s Barcelona was the more tactically dominant side, and it evidently showed.