Real Madrid managed to maintain their place at the top of the standings after beating Sevilla (3-1) in the 11th week of the Spanish La Liga. The victory against Sevilla shows the consistency and stability of the Real Madrid squad this season. After the match against Sevilla as reported in Goal. com, Manager Carlo Ancelotti stated that it is a joy to coach a team like Madrid because the players respect each other and do not create problems. Furthermore, Ancelotti does not hesitate to assess if Madrid is the best team he has ever had as a coach.
Ancelotti’s statement is not an exaggeration. Madrid continues to extend their unbeaten run in every competition. From 11 matches in Spanish La Liga, Madrid won 10 wins and only once won a draw when they played against Osasuna. Madrid’s convincing performance in the Spanish La Liga went straight in the European Champions League. Of the 4 matches played by Madrid, only once has this Spanish capital team won a draw, namely against Shaktar Donetsk.
Madrid’s stability in the Champions League opens up opportunities for Madrid to maintain the Champions League trophy this season. Even as reported by Tribuna.com last September, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola stated that Madrid was seen as the favorites for the Champions League this season.
Guardiola’s assessment is very reasonable when considering the consistency and stability built by Ancelotti. Under the control of Carlo Ancelotti, who is already in his 2nd season, Madrid seems to have matured in many respects, not being too shaken when a player leaves, and new players immediately fit into Madrid’s style of play.
As revealed by Ancelotti, Madrid is also so far from issues within the squad. There are no problems between the players, let alone the coach. Also, Madrid handled issues from outside the field in a way that was diplomatic enough so as not to affect the squad.
For example, the re-emergence of the issue of Kylian Mbappe who was Madrid’s target last season. Responding to issues as reported by RMC Sport, Madrid President Florentino Perez stated his comments during the Ballon d’Or award ceremony on the Mbappe issue. He revealed that he did not follow Mbappe’s development.
Perez thinks that Madrid have quality attackers and don’t really care about Mbappe. Even Perez thinks that strikers like Vinicius and Rodrygo can win the Ballon d’Or trophy. Perez’s statement of course has a positive effect on the squad in general. In which, the club supports the performance of each player, especially on the front lines. The effect continues, it also supports the confidence of the players in general.
Yes, the issue of the arrival of new players sometimes affects the condition of the squad, especially for players who are in the same position as the targeted or rumored players. Therefore, the response to the issue needs to be appropriate and not have an effect on the squad in general.
Furthermore, the relationship between players as well as between players and coaches is an important factor in team stability. The issue of rifts and indiscipline of players is not so heard from the Madrid dressing room.
Even players like Eden Hazard who never find their best performance seem calm in Ancelotti’s hands. Similarly, Asensio and Lucas Vazquez are often second choices at Madrid. In fact, the duo of players with Spanish passports were able to repay Ancelotti’s trust if he was introduced as a substitute.
That is, Ancelotti has controlled the dressing room. Thanks to Ancelotti’s experience and reputation, the relationship between the players is controlled, the harmony of the players spreads throughout the team in general. Furthermore, Ancelotti is also able to find the right formula when there are players who are absent due to injury. Evidently, although not reinforced by Karim in the match against Sevilla, Madrid still appear effective. Statistics show that Real Madrid controlled the game and recorded a number of important opportunities.
Benzema’s absence is not an obstacle for Madrid. Ancelotti played a trio of young attackers up front. Rodrygo lined up as a center forward flanked by winger Vinicius Jr. on the left and Fede Valverde on the right.
Valverde has been phenomenal this season. The player who is seen as Ancelotti’s golden child again listed his name on the scoreboard. This Urugay national team player scored a goal in the 81st minute. This is the 6th goal in the Spanish League and the 7th in all competitions from the player who actually plays as a defensive midfielder.
However, Ancelotti instead tends to play Valverde in the three-forward scheme. Precisely on the right striker. Ancelotti’s move was successful. With Valverde successfully playing on the right, Ancelotti has no problem with his surplus of central midfield and provides the answer to the performance problems of strikers like Asensio, Hazard and Vazquez.
Valverde has been a key player for Ancelotti this season. As reported by Marca.com, Ancelotti had stated that if Valverde did not score 10 goals this season, Ancelotti would stop as coach. The player who has scored 3 goals from 3 consecutive matches in the Spanish League continues to show his quality. His goal against Sevilla became the 7th collection this season. This means that when considering Ancelotti’s jokes, Valverde has the opportunity to meet Ancelotti’s expectations. Moreover, the season is still long and Valverde is in top shape.
The 24-year-old is arguably Madrid’s secret weapon. His hard kick is quite difficult for the goalkeeper. His positioning is often far from the observation of opposing defenders. With this, Madrid will not only rely on Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr to break into the opponent’s goal. Valverde, who was transformed into a winger, started to contribute. Valverde’s goal record is quite convincing for the category of players who play in the original position as a midfielder.
With this, Ancelotti has a choice up front. Not just sticking to one and two players in scoring goals. Ancelotti, who is said to be retiring from the world of coaching if he leaves Real Madrid, has created a fairly harmonious climate in Madrid. As a result, Madrid managed to find the stability of the squad.
ASL
