Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is famed for letting his creative players roam free, but if their strong title challenge has been built on anything so far, it has been defence. Despite losing Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba to long-term injuries, as well as multiple absences from Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy, it has been the strong point of his side.
Through 19 games, it is the strongest Real Madrid defence since 1962 in La Liga, and on Wednesday, they secured another clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Real Mallorca. Speaking to Diario AS after the match, Ancelotti explained that one game was the tipping point for them mentally – their 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in September.
“Those goals conceded opened our eyes, we were weak dealing with crosses. We fixed that by keeping the two centre-backs deeper inside the area when there are crosses and helping more on the sides with the midfielders. We have fixed it well.”
Since the Madrid derby, Jude Bellingham has been defending the left side when Real Madrid are sat back in a block, while another of the central midfielders has been dropping to the right in order to aid that flank. At that point Real Madrid had conceded six goals in five La Liga matches, and in the 14 since, they have let in just five.
That game could have gone either way if that 2-2 goal was allowed.
Happy that they rallied around the loss though. Some big games and good team efforts after.