The revered Italian has pieced together a disjointed group of players to deliver yet another Spanish league title against the odds
Last summer, things didn’t look great in Madrid; Karim Benzema, a stalwart of Carlo Ancelotti’s side, announced rather suddenly that he planned on leaving the club. Meanwhile, his presumptive long-term replacement, Kylian Mbappe, elected to stay at Paris Saint-Germain for at least one more season.
Even at a glance the squad looked imbalanced, without a reliable central striker, and too many centre-midfielders, while expensive veterans Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were ageing and past their best.
And to make things worse, Madrid were playing catch up. Barcelona won the title in 2023, and were never really pushed by Los Blancos. If this was the campaign to hunt down the Blaugrana, the pieces didn’t seem to be in place to pull it off.
Fast-forward a year and things look remarkably different; Real have won La Liga after opening up a double-digit lead at the top. It all amounts to one of Ancelotti’s finest jobs in management, the synthesis and application of a squad rife with talent but lacking in clarity. A Madrid side that shouldn’t really work has become one of the best in Europe. GOAL takes a look at how the Italian has masterminded another triumph…
Hey, Jude
Where else to start but with the world’s most impactful player? Bellingham’s Madrid evolution has been both rapid and unsurprising. There was always the likelihood that a very good player could become an elite one at a top club, but it’s the speed at which it has happened that few would have expected.
Bellingham was a smart attacking midfielder when he arrived in the Spanish capital, but Ancelotti swiftly changed his position, tasking the Englishman with playing as a false nine of sorts – orchestrating the attack while also making smart runs into the box to grab goals.
The result, of course, has been a campaign that has him right in the Ballon d’Or conversation. Bellingham has a chance to end the season as La Liga’s top scorer, and it is on the strength of his performances that Los Blancos have sealed the league, while also being odds-on favourites to claim a Champions League, too. And the scary part? He’s only going to get better…
Fresh tactics
How do you take a squad without a central striker and make it a dominant goal-scoring force? This is not a new concept. Teams without clear No.9s have managed to score lots of goals before. But unlike some of those squads – Jurgen Klopp’s early days at Liverpool for example – Los Blancos don’t have an out-and-out finisher to rely on.
Ancelotti, though, has figured it all out. Bellingham is the centrepiece, of course, but the configuration around him is equally important. The Italian deploys a well-balanced midfield trio, pushing Federico Valverde back into a deeper role, and tasking him to cover swaths of space in central areas. His legs allow room for Toni Kroos to ping the ball around and dictate the tempo. He is typically joined by one of either Aurelien Tchoaumeni or Eduardo Camavinga for extra solidity – as well as attacking thrust, if needed.
Ahead of Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo have been deployed as split strikers, asked to scamper and roam, but in slightly narrower positions than in previous years. The result is a well-balanced side, with enough midfield fortitude to sit in when needed, and sufficient pace on the break to grab timely goals.
Dealing with injuries
There was reason to believe in Madrid that the season might already be over after a week. Less than 72 hours before Los Blancos’ La Liga opener, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tore his ACL in training – effectively ruling him out for the campaign. The weekend after, Eder Militao suffered the exact same injury, leaving Madrid without their starting goalkeeper and best centre-back from the get-go.
A few weeks later, Tchoaumeni broke his foot. Then Bellingham picked up a severe ankle sprain. Vinicius and Carvajal, too, have been on the treatment table, while David Alaba also suffered a season-ending knee injury.
At one point, Madrid were down to two fit senior centre-backs, and asking reserve striker Joselu to play consistent minutes up front. Yet none of that has really mattered. Los Blancos have been managed carefully throughout the campaign, and although losses in certain areas have definitely been felt, results have continued to come.
Getting the best out of Kroos
Over a year ago, Ancelotti seemed to suggest that Kroos’ time in Madrid was over. In a press conference, the manager pointed out that both the German and Modric must accept “a moment of transition” in the Spanish capital, seeming to suggest that the new generation would soon take over from his ageing duo. And although Modric has perhaps surrendered to that reality, Kroos has done everything possible to stall his exit.
The German has been masterful this year, reinvented in a role that minimises his defensive responsibilities while maximising space for him to dictate tempo in central areas. His pass completion percentage and progressive passing numbers have been as impressive as ever. But he’s also been more of an out-and-out playmaker than in recent years. His seven La Liga assists are his most since 2021, while his gorgeous threaded through ball to Vinicius in the Champions League showed that he can still be a final-third menace.
It has all amounted to a return to the Germany squad, a starring role in this side, and an extension to what has been an immense footballing career.
The late goals
Madrid haven’t always started games well this year. Too often, a makeshift defence has been susceptible to a counterattack, or the midfield momentarily falls asleep. Control is Los Blancos’ calling card. Still, it can’t be apparent all the time. And this team have, on numerous occasions, been asked to fight their way back into contests this year.
It’s a task they have taken on with relative ease. Bellingham started it off, scoring late against Getafe, Union Berlin and Barcelona. Modric, Lucas Vazquez and Dani Carvajal have all chipped in with strikes of their own, while youngster Nico Paz marked his Madrid debut with a fine strike to beat Napoli.
Add it all together, and Los Blancos have picked up more than 10 points with late goals in La Liga, and made it out of their Champions League group with room to spare thanks to timely strikes. Call it fortune or mentality, Madrid have managed to score in the biggest moments.
A look into the future
The frightening part is this might only just be the beginning. Ancelotti has penned a new contract that will keep him at the club until at least 2026, ending speculation that he could take the Brazil job as early as June. And the next two years will be marked by a wave of new talent arriving in the Spanish capital. Mbappe is of course the highlight, the France captain all-but sealing a massive and long-anticipated move to Madrid. Endrick will follow him, with the exciting Palmeiras youngster pipped to be the next big forward in a long line of Brazilian brilliance.
And others may yet follow. Alphonso Davies, out of favour and almost out of contract at Bayern Munich, has been linked. Talk of a move for Reece James never goes away. Meanwhile, a young core will only get better. This should have been a poor season in Madrid. Instead, it seems to be the start of a glorious new era.
Goal
