Carlo Ancelotti planning big tactical change for big matches at Real Madrid - Reports
Real Madrid entered the season with a squad full of quality across the pitch, making them clear favorites to retain both the La Liga and Champions League titles. However, the start of the season has seen manager Carlo Ancelotti struggle to find the right balance following the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
Although Los Blancos remain unbeaten across all competitions, journalist Jose Felix Díaz reports that Ancelotti is considering a switch to a 4-4-2 formation for bigger matches, moving away from the 4-3-3 system used so far this season.
This could mean that one of the world-class front four - Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, or Rodrygo - might be dropped from the starting lineup in favor of an additional midfielder, likely Eduardo Camavinga, who is set to return from injury soon.
Rodrygo appears to be the most likely to make way in this scenario, with Ancelotti possibly playing Federico Valverde on Real Madrid's right flank while using Camavinga and Tchouameni to anchor the midfield. This would leave one of Bellingham, Vinicius, or Mbappe to occupy the left side.
If Rodrygo does start, then one of Tchouameni, Valverde, or Camavinga would likely be benched in midfield. Regardless, Ancelotti is still fine-tuning his system and searching for the right balance, Real Madrid's opponents have found it relatively easy to exploit gaps and create chances against them.
Their recent Champions League tie against VfB Stuttgart certainly highlighted these problems. The German side, despite having less talent compared to the reigning European champions, frequently found space and created opportunities.
Though Los Blancos ultimately scraped a 3-1 victory, they conceded 17 shots and allowed an expected goal (xG) tally of 1.94, with Stuttgart arguably unlucky not to come away with a result.
Carlo Ancelotti explains the reason behind Real Madrid’s struggles against VfB Stuttgart
Before the game, it was widely expected that Real Madrid would comfortably take all three points, given the number of world-class talents they started. However, their start to the game was certainly sluggish, as Stuttgart pressed them higher up the pitch and created several chances.
Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 46th minute but the German side responded with an equalizer twenty minutes later, shocking the home crowd. Ultimately, Los Blancos had to rely on individual brilliance, with late goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick securing the victory.
In his post-match interview, Ancelotti acknowledged that the team didn’t start well and are still struggling to find the right balance in attack.
“We are still trying to find the best version. The assessment is that we did not start well. They were winning the duels. After 20 minutes, we were in control, until the 60th minute. We could have killed the game in a couple of transitions. After the draw, we had the strength to win a very important match. It is not easy," he said (via Managing Madrid).
Real Madrid’s next game in La Liga will be against Espanyol on Saturday, September 21, followed by a clash with Deportivo Alavés on September 24.