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After being sidelined for two weeks and experiencing a world of agony, Real Madrid will return to action on Sunday, April 14, when they take on Cadiz in Matchday 14 of La Liga. The campaign up to this point has been anything from simple, and the next weeks will offer the Merengues yet another busy schedule to keep them on their toes.
In the lead up to their match against Cadiz, there is a great deal of doubt over the health of Carlo Ancelotti’s players. A number of the players are sidelined with injuries, some are just half fit, and still others are overworked and underrested. In order to successfully juggle the aforementioned three sets, the manager will need to make several important choices before to the start of the game.
This season in La Liga, Cadiz has just 10 points to show for their 12 games played. They have just three points separating them from the relegation zone, and a loss tomorrow may very well see them in the danger zone. This provides them with the push to go out and play their hardest game possible in order to avoid falling into the relegation zone.
Ahead of Cadiz’s match against Real Madrid, Madrid Universal presents you three topics for discussion.
Tensions in the middle of the field
Ancelotti is quite experienced in dealing with circumstances in which departments have a severe lack of personnel. In the course of his famous and lengthy career as a manager, he has spent many days dealing with situations that are quite similar to this one, and he has devised strategic solutions to overcome the challenges.
However, one cannot help but feel concerned about Real Madrid’s midfield as the club prepares to play its first game after the international break.
The fact that Aurelien Tchouameni suffered an injury after El Clasico was a significant setback for Carlo Ancelotti’s intentions. The Frenchman was the team’s finest defensive midfield option by a mile and had been in top form for the last several weeks. He was the greatest option by a country mile.
The inclusion of Eduardo Camavinga on that list won’t do anything except make the situation more difficult. As a result of their being disqualified from the competition, the manager has lost two of his most dependable weapons in the center. More crucially, this leaves him without a natural transition to the conversation.
Everything points to Toni Kroos starting at the base of the diamond midfield on Sunday night for the match against Real Madrid. Luka Modric and Federico Valverde, who both had busy commitments with their respective national teams, are set to start as the interiors when the Real Madrid side takes on Cadiz.
It is anticipated that Jude Bellingham, a staple in the middle of the field, will return to play at the apex of the diamond when he has recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained.
Forward limitation on movement
If Los Blancos’ midfield department is in danger, then the front lineup is in for a world of hurt.
At the beginning of the season, the team that wore white had only three natural possibilities for attacking: Vinicius Jr., Joselu, and Rodrygo Goes. The first of them was, without a doubt, the more important of the two.
Real Madrid was unable to use Vinicius’ services due to an injury in the early part of the season, and their lack of production suffered as a result. The performance of the squad on the field was really poor, but they were able to get through the difficult period thanks to a concerted team effort and a few shining moments of individual brilliance.
The Brazilian athlete is now sidelined with another injury, this one expected to keep him out of action for more than two months. In addition to this, Rodrygo will be required to return to the starting lineup shortly after finishing his rehabilitation from a knee injury.
Therefore, Ancelotti is facing a really difficult challenge right now. If the manager’s only three alternatives for the final third are one player who is fit, one player who is semi-fit, and one player who is not fit, would he decide to play an additional midfielder on game day? Is it possible that Brahim Diaz is the answer? The only way to know is to wait.
No room for error
Real Madrid are in a strong position on the league standings after thirteen rounds of competition in La Liga. The group of players dressed in white are one of the four teams who are vying for first place and are among the most consistent teams in this competition.
The team captained by Ancelotti has racked up an impressive 10 victories during the first 13 matches of this season. They have a total of 32 points out of a possible 39 since they have one win, two draws, and one loss from the remaining three games.
Despite this, they are not sitting at the very top of the table. The blitzkrieg that Girona executed in the early part of the season has put them firmly in the driver’s seat with 34 points. This puts them two points ahead of Real Madrid, which is now in second position. It is interesting to note that they have scored more goals than even the Merengues have in La Liga so far this season.
As the fight for the league position becomes more close, Los Blancos find themselves in a position where they must walk a tightrope. They do not have the luxury of dropping points in any of the remaining games since there is always the possibility that they may slip farther behind the competition.
Given that Girona will be playing Athletic Club late on Monday night, a victory for Real Madrid against Cadiz would put further pressure on the Catalan team that will be competing at that time. More significantly, it would inject some much-needed momentum to the Merengues’ side before a critical match against Napoli.
