There is no doubt in anyone's mind that most Real Madrid fans are currently nervous about the game against Barcelona on Sunday. Real Madrid have been lacklustre for most of the season, and have only found some form in the game against Sevilla. Barcelona have been in cruise control since the start, winning all of their games so far, and they're not looking to slow down anytime soon.
Real Madrid have a blessing in disguise with Vinicius Junior's suspension for this match, simply because they are now allowed to have players with lower ceilings but higher floors. Vinicius Junior has not had a good start to the season, but because of the hierarchy at the club, there was no way he was going to be benched for the game against Barcelona, no matter what kind of form he was in.
The lineup that Jose Mourinho chose for the game against Sevilla not only kept Vinicius Junior's suspension in mind, but it also solved some of the issues in Real Madrid's midfield. Starting Aurelien Tchouameni alongside Fede Valverde was going to be abysmal against Barcelona, because they would have torn them apart. However, now a midfield of Arda Guler and Tchouameni works much better because Real Madrid have more controlled stability and creativity from the middle of the park.
Real Madrid's lineup vs Sevilla is their best shot at beating Barcelona
For defense, it makes more sense to start Trent Alexander-Arnold because of Barcelona's high line and Trent's long-range passing, but everyone knows that Mourinho would rather start Denzel Dumfries than Trent, so fans would have to take Valverde.
Yan Diamande and Endrick will both be brilliant players to have on the wings because of their lightning-quick pace. Guler in midfield will be able to sling passes through Barcelona's high line towards these two, and in theory, this strategy could work out quite well if Real Madrid's attackers are able to keep themselves onside.
All of this depends on whether Mourinho actually ends up starting this and not going with the hierarchy. If either of them starts alongside Tchouameni, no matter who starts in the attack, this team simply would not function well enough. That is exactly why Mourinho must start the exact same lineup that he chose for the game against Sevilla.
This is not a game where you stick to the old habits. If you stick to the old habits, then you will struggle like the old habits did when they last faced a team like Barcelona. These situations are important to analyse, and Mourinho, being one of the greatest managers of all time, would know exactly that. It remains to be seen how the team actually plays against Barcelona, but if this is the lineup and strategy that Mourinho goes for, it would serve his team much better than whatever he was doing in the Madrid derby a few weeks ago.
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