After getting a place in the Champions League semi-finals in an enormous football survival exercise, Madrid can practically certify the League if they manage to beat Barça. A match that, like all Classics, has all possible motivations. These are the tactical keys from Madrid’s perspective:
The fact that they played a 120-minute match on Wednesday and that some of the players ended up with physical discomfort, it is possible that Carlo Ancelotti will introduce something new to the starting team. Modric, Lucas Vázquez or Tchuameni seem the clearest but Brahim could also be up front. We will see if the Italian coach decides to give him prominence from the beginning or in the final part but the forward is fresh and has a lot of potential in open games like today.
As in all Ancelotti’s matches, this can be a decisive factor. And Madrid is the team that best runs against the international scene. Between the League and the Champions League, he has accumulated no less than 14 goals on counterattacks. Because it not only has transitional quality but also quantity. Having Vinicius, Rodrygo, Brahim, Bellingham or even Valverde means that the threat can come from anywhere. And from the Madrid perspective, it is an extra value. Because every time the deployment is carried out with more than one footballer at speed, it is impossible to stop. Whether in a launched play or in breaks. Tonight, again, it could be worth it for Madrid to score.
But Madrid is not only strong in running with spaces but also knows how to work on its static attacks. And he does it through patient possession and playing well with the heights of the footballers. Especially the interior and sides. Kroos or Modric (depending on the stretch of the match) lower their height to circulate without the close pressure of the rival and, the full-backs (Lucas and Mendy today on paper), do position themselves higher and more open. With this, they capture the attention of a brand and access a central position. This allows opening up interior spaces that, if the opponent is not successful in covering them, open the way to connect with the offensive players. It is no coincidence that, with a total of 567 on average per game, the Madrid team is the team in the League that plays the shortest. Another important argument tonight.
The Madrid team can also take advantage of set pieces. With a total of ten, Madrid is the fourth team in the League that has scored the most goals in strategy. And it has great shooters (Kroos and Modric) and many players with great aerial power. Tchouameni, Rudiger and Joselu are among the best in the championship in this aspect of the game. It wouldn’t be the first time this season that, in a match in which the Madridistas are not comfortable, the strategy works for them.