Two games, two wins, two clean sheets, seven goals — are Real Madrid back in form? They swept Osasuna away, losing three players to injuries in the process, and now they have breezed past Leganes in the derby somehow without losing any of their players to injuries. They can be within touching distance of Barcelona if The Whites manage to win the game in hand. What has changed? There’s a certain bounce about this injury-riddled, once crisis-approaching Real Madrid side whose fans saw rumours of their coach potentially getting fired. They’re back, and although they have not faced a real test since their last loss, this turn in form has been as refreshing as sunshine during winters in England. All this is, of course, until they face the most important game of their Champions League campaign against Liverpool at Anfield…
The return of structure
Real Madrid have had a lot of difficulty playing in a proper structure. That is not a sentence you’d hope to write about a team that prides itself on being the best in the world. However, in the last couple of games, things have changed. Real Madrid started this game with a team that looked like they were playing in a 4-2-3-1 in possession with Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos acting as the double pivot, setting Jude Bellingham free to attack at will.
Apart from a few minutes in the first half where they kept losing possession of the ball, this worked out perfectly. Both Ceballos and Camavinga did a great job defending out of possession, and were solid with the ball at their feet.
Ceballos, particularly, had a great game — he had the most touches (100), passes (88) and highest pass completion rate (95.5%) of anyone on the pitch. He also completed six of his seven long balls. He wasn’t playing those defence-splitting passes; that was not his job. His job was to keep control of the game and set the tempo, slow it down or pick it right back up as he saw fit. He did all that to perfection.
I have always believed that Ceballos has a lot to offer to this team if he plays regularly, especially with the paining absence of Toni Kroos, and that was on full display tonight. He may not be the star man that you’re used to seeing at clubs like Real Madrid, but he does help with structure and build-up a lot more than you’d expect. His ground coverage, defensive interventions and work rate eclipse those of a current-day Luka Modric — he had four tackles, one interception, and won eight of his 10 duels. He may not be a nailed-on starter, but Ceballos has proved that Real Madrid need a profile like him.
Camavinga was also really good — he would usually have the lion’s share of defensive duties, which is why this double-pivot duo is balanced and effective. Valverde will eventually (and rightfully) move to midfield again, but these minutes have shown Ceballos can be useful for The Whites.
Arda Guler, X-factor
Guler has not scored a goal in his last three games for club and country, but in each of those games, he was among the best players on the pitch. Having watched him play for Turkey over the international break, he deserved to get some much-needed game-time after those performances and try to match them at club level. He did it; he didn’t register a goal, but he got an assist for Valverde’s thunderbolt, and had some mind-boggling sequences, one of which made everyone feel like he had eyes in the back of his head, swiftly turning and then nutmegging a defender without even looking, all in an instant.
Guler also had this play where he dribbled through two Leganes defenders, and everything seemed almost perfect; and if the ball had gone in, it would’ve been. It was artistic and effective and showed how much damage Guler can inflict upon the opposition — while making it all look simple and easy — if he plays regularly.
“Arda helped us a lot with his creativity, he was close to scoring too, he contributed for us,” said Ancelotti after the game. This is what he brings to the table, and many times, this Real Madrid side needs exactly that — inspiration, creativity and intent.
Guler has had some good and some mediocre performances, but he has done enough this season to at least play significant minutes when a game-changer like him is so desperately needed. He’s been made to look from the bench, discombobulated and disappointed because his feet are itching to touch the ball and show the fans what he can do. Guler finally got his chance, and even though it was not a 10/10 performance, it was hopefully enough to turn him from a bench warmer into a decisive squad player.
Vinicius Jr’s position was unusual, but effective
Real Madrid fans waited about six years for the club to sign Kylian Mbappe from PSG. They finally got the player, but so far, it has not been the very-early Christmas gift everyone was expecting. It seems more like a last-minute purchase expecting to make the fans happy. Mbappe has looked a shell of himself since he joined the club in June. He has scored goals — including today — but it is taking a while for him to finally figure out the differences between Ligue 1 and La Liga, and between PSG and Real Madrid.
Mbappe had a good game against Leganes, but it was after a positional shift to his preferred spot — the left wing. Vinicius Jr played a lot more centrally against Leganes, and, even though this is an experiment and it wouldn’t stick for the rest of the season, what we saw was good.
Vinicius Jr’s linkup play — an underrated quality of his — was on full display at the Butarque Municipal Stadium. He knew when to drop deep, when to run behind Leganes’ frightened defensive line, when to dribble and when to make the final pass. He seemed like a natural fit — this seemed far-fetched a couple of seasons ago, but Vinicius Jr has really worked on his versatility. His linkup play was excellent, he helped Mbappe break free on many occasions and was at the hub of so many excellent build-up sequences that led to quality chances. Real Madrid’s attack was clicking and Vini had a lot to do with it. His linking up is what is expected at times from Mbappe, but is rarely the reality.
Vinicius Jr only took one shot, but he completed five dribbles and had five key passes to his name — including the assist to Real Madrid’s first goal. Vinicius Jr is Real Madrid’s best left-winger, and he should and will go back to his preferred position, but this could be an option in some games.
However, Vinicius can’t play both roles. He cannot be the striker and the winger at the same time. Mbappe improved today, he scored a goal and looked more involved, but he needs to do more. He needs to improve more. The Frenchman still missed a lot of chances and didn’t look as sharp as he used to when he was wrecking Argentina’s defensive line in 2018, or when he almost became a worldwide heartbreaker against the same country in 2022. There is still a long way to go until that version of Mbappe decides to unleash himself, but it is not impossible.
Real Madrid will get their money’s worth, even if it takes some time.
