Real Madrid will be in the draw for the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey despite the fact that they played with fire in the round of 16 against Celta. They were winning 2-0 and were facing the end of the match, but in the final ten minutes they saw how they tied it and the Olympic team was even able to look into the white area to score the third. He didn't score it and Madrid did, three times, with a double from Endrick and another from Valverde, both coming off the bench to resolve the score.
Madrid won, but the problems have not gone away, they are still there. Madrid, in fact, was whistled by its fans at the start of the match after the debacle of the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah against Barcelona, something that Ancelotti himself described as normal, given the circumstances: “It is a wake-up call from the fans, it is acceptable for what happened against Barcelona.” Madrid lives one more day to compete in the Cup, a tournament it already won two years ago, but there are things that don't quite add up…
Vinicius, out of touch
The Brazilian had not scored for more than a month; He had scored his last goal on December 10, 2024. Against Celta he saw the goal, scoring at will inside the area after Brahim's death pass, and was able to score another goal. But he is still far from his best level: he finished four times, three on goal, dribbled only twice successfully, created two chances… He was present, his will is never discussed, but it is equally true that he does not have the spark that he used to have, that now seems to have moved to live with Mbappé.
And to make matters worse, he will not be able to have continuity, since his expulsion in Mestalla led to a two-game suspension that he will serve in the League, this Sunday against Las Palmas and on Saturday the 25th against Valladolid. His next appearance will be next Wednesday in the Champions League, against Red Bull Salzburg. He has a guaranteed rest, which is why it seemed strange that Ancelotti removed him from the field against Barcelona in Jeddah and that he also did so against Celta in the Cup, with the match still 2-2. Carletto attributed it to fatigue, but it is difficult to see a Madrid that needs to score by removing Vini from the field if it is in the version that it showed during the last weeks of 2024.
Ceballos is not reliable
The demanding schedule and the tough trips to Saudi Arabia forced Ancelotti to make rotations in the Cup eleven against Celta and one of those chosen to start was Ceballos, along with Modric and Tchouameni in the midfield. The Utrerano has something that has not been left over in the white squad since Kroos left: touch and nerve to handle the ball and thus give the team a chance. to rest with possession and not be running after the ball so much, something that is becoming more and more frequent this season.
But Ceballos is not completely reliable, he mixes very decent matches with others in which the pace seems to overwhelm him or in which he slows down the white game with his circulation, which is excessive in many cases. Against Celta, he did not do well: he was the sixth white player in interventions (84), not very good for his position, he only made 68 passes in 72 minutes and went very little deep.since only 16 of them were in the last third of the field. He was willing without the ball, with two tackles won from two attempts and seven recoveries, but it is still difficult to see him as the reference in Madrid's midfield when it is time to take charge.
Negligent Camavinga
Few players had such a high opinion among the Madrid fans as Camavinga. The Franco-Angolan brings dynamism to a midfield that is too static in many moments and has a virtue that usually falls on his feet at the Bernabéu: he does not burn the ball in important moments, quite the opposite. But in his last games he has taken several steps back, in the eyes of the fans and also of Ancelotti, who was beginning to face the idea that, when Alaba returns, he was not going to be entirely clear whether to place Camavinga or Tchoumeni, given the performance of both until recently.
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-In Jeddah, with 1-1, he gave a hard-to-explain penalty to Gavi that ended with Lewandowski's 2-1. That's where Madrid began to sink, the distance in the game between both teams was important, but actions like this make things too easy and in a Clásico that is especially important. And against Celta, an even more serious situation: with 2-0, he gave away a ball in front that ended in Bamba's 2-1. Then Celta would make it 2-2 and send the game to extra time. Luckily for Camavinga, Madrid won in extra time and his mistake will be forgotten, but his reputation as a scattered and disorderly player that he had been getting rid of appears again with force due to these two actions with a point of professional negligence.
More defensive imbalances
Madrid changed the drawing, put Asencio at the back, tried to press higher… But things are not going well for the team when it comes to defending, the recovery remains uncoordinated in many moments and comes with some ease: Celta finished a total of 12 times, five of them on goal. What happened in Yeda was damaging and Celta's visit to the Bernabéu confirmed that Madrid continues to have significant defensive imbalances, either due to deconcentration, as in the Camavinga ruling; or by haste, as in the penalty committed by Asencio that meant 2-2.
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It is a reality that Madrid has improved in attack: it has scored 27 goals in its last eight games, with an average of over three goals per duel. QBut it is also true that he does not close the door: in those same matches he has conceded 15, almost two per duel on average. Some numbers that speak of defensive weakness That against the big teams in the Champions League can be very expensive. Because, in fact, it has already cost a lot this season: there are the two defeats against Barça, and against Milan, and Liverpool…
And doubts in construction
We said that Madrid has found the path to scoring, but they do it above all on the counterattack, as in their first two goals against Celta, or from long distancea luck in which they are the most inspired team in the five major leagues among all competitions, with 15 goals from outside the area (the second is Barça, with 11). Madrid continues to find it difficult to build, Kroos' loss continues to weigh too much and to make matters worse, One of the potential future players such as Zubimendi seems close to leaving for Arsenal in June, thus closing a door.
The comparison with Barcelona is inevitable: counting the last four games (avoiding the Cup debut, in which the culés played against Barbastro and Madrid, against Minera, both Second RFEF rivals), Barça has averaged 16, 2 total shots, eight between sticks and 60% possession; while Madrid shoots more in general (22 per game), but the same as the culés between the sticks (8) and possession is somewhat lower (58%). It is a subtle but constant feeling that Madrid has a hard time putting together plays and that their chances end up coming due to the quality of their attackers to create opportunities or to shoot from long distances..
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