Real Madrid under the control of Carlo Ancelotti has a significant difference compared to the era of Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane learned a lot from Ancelotti when he was an assistant coach. Both have some similarities but Ancelotti is trying to revolutionize the Los Blancos squad that Zidane has left behind.
The Italian coach used several players that Zidane ignored last season and then shined again.
Currently, Madrid is unbeaten in four La Liga matches. Three of them won and the only draw was when they visited Levante with a score of 3-3.
The Spanish capital team also proved themselves as a team to be reckoned with in the race for the Champions League title this season after a 1-0 win over Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza.
Marca launched, there are at least five striking differences between Ancelotti and Zidane referring to El Real’s appearance at the start of the 2021/2022 season.
Believe in Vinicius
Vinicius Junior was often a starter in the Zidane era but the Brazilian never fully convinced the French coach. Now, Vini appears as a different player under Ancelotti.
The Brazilian winger was pessimistic about staying in Madrid along with rumors of Kylian Mbappe’s arrival from Paris Saint Germain.
However, Ancelotti asked him to come sooner than the end of the season holiday period to join the team. The former Juventus coach insists Vinicius is included in his plans despite Mbappe’s certainty.
Negotiations between Madrid and PSG stalled and Mbappe failed to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu. While Vinicius paid Ancelotti’s trust with his best performance. The motivation and way of playing Vinicius began to be seen as the world’s top star player.
Zidane is more solid defensively
In Zidane’s final season, despite failing to win the title, Real Madrid’s defense was solid. From February to May, Los Merengues have only lost once, which was a visit to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge headquarters.
Despite being haunted by player injuries, Zidane was able to mix Madrid’s back line to remain solid and proved difficult to penetrate.
While Ancelotti prefers the approach of the game with an attacking character. It’s just that he is considered to still need to make Madrid’s fortifications tighter.
In Zidane’s era, Madrid’s offensive was not so impressive and relied too much on Karim Benzema, but they also conceded less. Meanwhile, Ancelotti sacrificed a little defense for a more dynamic attacking approach.
Fixing Madrid’s back line is not an easy job after being left behind by their two mainstay defenders, Sergio Ramos (Paris Saint Germain) and Raphael Varane (Manchester United).
Ancelotti re-signs Pintus
Zidane was the first to hire Antonio Pintus as a physical trainer. However, their relationship soured and Pintus left when Zidane returned to coach Madrid for a second time.
While Ancelotti chose to bring back Pintus to the field. As a result, Madrid is more energetic this season even though player injury problems still occur.
More Trust in Young Players
Zidane often confuses Madrid’s management because they believe in old faces. However, Ancelotti tried to rejuvenate the squad by giving the portion of young players more.
The former Bayern Munich coach gave more confidence to Vinicius Jr and Fede Valverde who had a big role in midfield. The arrival of Eduardo Camavinga is also a sign of rejuvenation in midfield.
Ancelotti’s decision to play Miguel Gutierrez more than Marcelo further shows his commitment to overhauling the squad. He is also not too dependent on Eden Hazard, who is mostly struggling with injuries.
Resolve Bale Conflict
It is undeniable that Zidane did not include Gareth Bale in Madrid’s future plans when he was coach for the second time. He even encouraged Bale to leave Madrid.
Bale was giddy and restless on the bench until finally being loaned to Tottenham Hotspur. The Wales international winger even had time to think about retiring early.
However, Ancelotti gave Bale a second chance to prove himself. The player seemed to be reborn and reaped praise for his impressive form before he was sidelined again due to injury.
