Tactical Analysis: Decoding Real Madrid’s defensive flaws

3. A lack of defending from the front

All that said, what can Real Madrid truly modify from the perspective of their approach? Surely defenders not defending well enough and errors in build-up sound like very mundane reasons to justify a poor defensive record. The third aspect of this weakness is something that Real Madrid haven’t always been masters of in a traditional sense: pressing teams from the front. Not in an extreme sense like say the Liverpool’s or the Manchester City’s in this world but rather in a moderate sense just like sometimes last season.

Oncoming attacks can often be delayed if the team as a unit decides to stand up and press the opposition. Often times one can see one or two Real Madrid players (usually one of Benzema, Valverde or Modric) running around endlessly for a few minutes before restoring the shape. They often allow opponents to build comfortably through the first two lines of defence in hopes that the defence deals with it when the ball reaches the third of the pitch. This cautious approach suits the counter-attacking prowess but teams have grown used to it and have found other ways of getting to the goal.

Against particular teams in LaLiga it just is very important to limit the number of free passes being played towards the centre/half-spaces (like versus Rayo), and to win the ball as early as possible. Real’s current inclination seems to be to invite trouble into deeper territories in hopes that the numbers organize themselves to regain possession before launching a counter-attack. Defending cannot simply be limited to a defender’s job. The pursuit to win the ball starts from the very front for any side who wishes to dominate and to win in the modern game.

The term moderation is to be understood appropriately here. It not only means that pressing in numbers instead of as individuals will help the greater cause but also that Real Madrid – when at their best – press efficiently, not in abundance. The waves of intense pressure in the few minutes right after having scored or conceded a goal make it doubly as likely that another opportunity falls their way in that period of 3-4 minutes.

More than a strategic weapon, chasing the opposition into a mistake has always been a way of letting the rival know their intentions and to gain a psychological advantage for Real Madrid. It is a card they play almost on cue a few times across the 90 minutes. Ancelotti’s team have always preferred to flip the switch to play aggressively for those spells in between instead of spending 35-40 minutes each game chasing shadows.