Spain With 17 wins, two draws and just one defeat, Carlo Ancelotti has made his best start to a season in two spells in charge of Real.
A comfortable 2-0 win over Granada helped Real reclaim the top spot in La Liga, hours after being overtaken by Girona. It was also their 17th win in all competitions this season, helping Ancelotti set a new record for the best start under a new manager.
The Italian coach has led Real for five seasons, through two periods from 2013 to 2015, then from 2021 to present.
Ancelotti directed Real in the 2-0 win over Granada on the evening of December 2. Photo: Soccrates
Not only have Real Madrid, under Ancelotti, been impressive in terms of statistics this season. They are second in La Liga in terms of goals scored (33) and have conceded the fewest goals - nine in 15 games. Real have also reached the Champions League round of 16 with a perfect record of five wins in the group stage.
Injuries to key players like Thibaut Courtois, Vinicius Junior or Eder Militao have not diminished Real's strength. In fact, the Bernabeu team is going through a crisis with nine first-team players out of action. However, other stars like Jude Bellingham or Rodrygo still know how to shine at key moments, to keep Real's momentum going.
Real's only defeat of the season so far was a 1-3 defeat at the hands of Atletico in the Madrid derby in round 6 of La Liga on September 24. Their two draws came against Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano. However, if we only look at their La Liga results, Ancelotti is still one point behind the 2014-2015 season, when he helped Real gain 39 points after the first 15 rounds, one more point than now.
Ancelotti's worst start at Real came in the 2021-2022 season, when he first returned. At that time, the 64-year-old coach and his team lost two of their first 20 matches, including a home defeat to their first-ever Champions League opponent, Sheriff. In La Liga, Real lost at Espanyol and drew with Levante, Villarreal, and Osasuna. However, despite a poor start, Ancelotti helped Real win La Liga this season, thereby becoming the first coach to win all five major European leagues: England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France.
According to AS , Ancelotti remains faithful to his philosophy: "If we don't concede, we have a great chance of winning." The Italian coach has found a way to patch up the holes in Real's defense when key players are absent. In the goalkeeper position, he alternates between Kepa Arrizabalaga (conceding seven goals in 10 matches) and Andriy Lunin (conceding two goals in five matches).
In defence, Antonio Rudiger has played the most minutes with 1,570. Injuries to David Alaba and Ferland Mendy, along with a suspension for Nacho Fernandez, have forced Ancelotti to make temporary changes, such as when Aurelien Tchouameni played at centre-back in the 4-0 win over Osasuna. However, these changes have not left Real uncertain, and the defence has been a major contributor to their success this season.
Duy Doan (according to AS )
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