Real Madrid managed to beat Racing Santander 3-0 away from home on Sunday night to make it six wins in a row since coming back from the international break in early October.'
This match was one of Real Madrid's best performances under Mourinho in his second stint, and it looked brilliant, especially in the first half.
The team looked fluid, the attackers knew what they were doing - and above all, the team looked like they had a purpose each time they went forward. Playing this way consistently has proven to be diffficult for Real Madrid, but they have been able to do so till now, and hopefully, it continues.
Jose Mourinho finally has Real Madrid's midfield all figured out
A big, big reason for this happening is the change that Mourinho has made in midfield. Rather than starting Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the park, either Bernardo Silvao r Arda Guler slots into the midfield, and everything becomes much smoother.
Real Madrid were amazing to watch on the day, and that has been the case since the win over Roma. That was the last time Tchouameni and Valverde played in midfield together, and in the second half of that game, Mourinho sent Guler into the midfield, while Valverde slotted in at right-back.
Real Madrid have won all of their games in convincing manner since then, and it is not at all a coincidence. The truth, which is something that Real Madrid fans have been talking about for the longest time, is that the team just works much, much better without these two players in midfield.
This new system lets Valverde be a direct force on the flanks, and incredibly astute on the defensive end, while Tchouameni does not have to worry about the creativity or on-the-ball aspect of the game too much because he is able to solely focus on defensive work. As frustrating as that can be since he's not making any improvements, it is still better than him trying and failing and making the rest of the team look worse.
Silva looks to be a locked in starter in midfield now, which is a brilliant move, while Guler has been playing more on the wing lately, although it will be interesting to see what happens if and when Vinicius Junior enters the lineup, and Yan Diomande has to be sent to the right side instead.
Regardless, it is still a good situation that Real Madrid fans find themselves in, and long may it continue.
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