Real Madrid are, with the exception of the Copa del Rey, right where they want to be this season, with a healthy lead in La Liga over Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, and through to the Champions League Round of 16 with a 100% record. Add in a Spanish Supercup, and things are going smoothly for Carlo Ancelotti, in spite of a rough injury history this year.
The Italian may be concerned that those injuries are finally taking their toll though. Nacho Fernandez has come into the team alongside Antonio Rudiger following David Alaba’s injury, and in their last four games, have conceded 10 goals. Overall this season they have conceded just 19 over the other 26 matches. In their first match of 2024, they came close to conceding on several occasions against Real Mallorca too, and it was noted against Almeria that their two goals came from Nacho errors.
“It’s a statistic we must take into account. [We must be] More solid, stronger at the back. You don’t always have the energy to come back,” Ancelotti told Diario AS.
In light of injuries to Alaba and Eder Militao, Real Madrid have neglected to sign a replacement, meanwhile in goal, the form of Andriy Lunin and Kepa Arrizabalaga has dived in 2024 too. It should be noted that of those four games, three were against Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, and two of which they won.
However Ancelotti has always maintained over the past two-and-a-half years that the key to his side winning trophies will be defending well. Against Las Palmas at the weekend, Real Madrid should be able to judge the situation better. Los Blancos will have had a week to rest after an exhausting run before the Almeria match, and the opposition does not have the same firepower as their previous opponents. If the Canary Islanders do manage to score on multiple occasions though, then Ancelotti might be tempted to take corrective action.
