 |
Real Madrid is at a crossroads. |
Real Madrid will face a complete overhaul after their 1-2 defeat to Arsenal in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on the morning of April 17th, resulting in their elimination from the tournament with an aggregate score of 1-5. This defeat exposed problems in their playing style, putting coach Carlo Ancelotti and the current Real Madrid squad under immense pressure.
End point
Ahead of the second leg of the quarter-final against Arsenal at the Bernabeu, the keyword "remontada"—meaning comeback in Spanish—was swirling in the minds of Real Madrid fans. Spectacular comebacks used to be their trademark, but the current squad is incapable of replicating that.
After a 0-3 defeat in the first leg at Emirates, Real Madrid had only a brief moment of hope when Vinicius Jr. equalized shortly after Bukayo Saka's opening goal in the second half. Towards the end of the match, Gabriel Martinelli sealed a 2-1 victory for Arsenal in injury time.
This defeat marks the third time in the last 12 seasons that Real Madrid have failed to reach the Champions League semi-finals. Ancelotti, who has managed the team for the second time since 2021 and won three Champions League titles with Real, admitted the team is having problems.
"We have our bright side and our dark side. We've used our bright side to win titles and matches. Even though we've been eliminated from the Champions League, we still have other competitions to focus on," said the Italian coach.
However, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes Real Madrid is at a crossroads. “The defeat against Arsenal is not the reason the team needs a overhaul, but only confirms the necessity of one. The message to Ancelotti is clear: it’s time for him to leave,” Balague said.
Real Madrid's 2024/25 season began with high expectations after signing Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer. Many believed that Real's star-studded squad, now bolstered by Mbappe, would be unstoppable. However, having lost the Champions League title and trailing Barcelona by four points in La Liga, this season is likely to be considered a failure for Real.
Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson commented on Radio 5 Live : “The current Real Madrid squad is not meeting the fans’ expectations. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made some major changes in the near future.”
Ancelotti's contract with Real Madrid runs until 2026, but the "Los Blancos" management is beginning to doubt the 65-year-old coach's abilities. In the current trend of rejuvenating coaching staff in top-level football, Ancelotti is no longer as attractive to Real as Xabi Alonso.
Poor quality squad
Despite Arsenal's strength, the 1-5 aggregate defeat over two legs remains a shame for Real Madrid, a team that had been aiming for a treble since the beginning of the year. However, the reality is that Real Madrid's squad is seriously unbalanced. They have a dream attacking line, but in midfield and defense, "Los Blancos" have far too many average players.
Ancelotti's coaching style, which relies on maintaining harmony in the dressing room and tactical flexibility, has shown its limitations this season. Real Madrid run less than their opponents in crucial matches. Young talents like Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and Endrick are being used sparingly.
 |
Real needs a lot of overhaul. |
The current core group of players is exhausted both physically and mentally. Real Madrid will certainly begin planning for a overhaul for the 2025/26 season. Trent Alexander-Arnold is almost certain to join the team this summer when his contract with Liverpool expires. However, simply adding a right-back is not enough.
Many key Real Madrid players could leave to make way for new talent. Luka Modric, at 39, will see his contract expire in the summer of 2025 and may not be renewed. Although still an icon, Modric no longer has the physical fitness to control the tempo of the game as he once did.
Lucas Vázquez's contract also expires this June, and Real need to find younger players. The case of David Alaba is another disappointment. The Austrian defender has suffered a serious decline since his severe injury. If they receive a good enough offer, Real are willing to let the central defender go.
Even Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo could be on Real's transfer list. "Los Blancos" already have too many wingers, while the playing styles of Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Mbappe are similar.
The signing of Mbappe last summer put Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Bellingham in a difficult position as their performance declined and they showed signs of overlapping in their playing style. In addition, Real also needed to buy a new midfielder and a new central defender.
Since Toni Kroos' retirement, Real Madrid seems to have become complacent in not bringing in new players for midfield. And they have paid the price. Real Madrid cannot delay the overhaul. With 11 defeats in all competitions this season, the team is showing clear signs of decline.
The exhaustion of key players, unclear tactics, and inefficient personnel management have put Real Madrid in a precarious situation. Without decisive action in the 2025 summer transfer window, the Spanish giants risk falling further behind ambitious rivals like Barcelona and other Premier League clubs.
The question isn't whether Real Madrid will reform, but how quickly and thoroughly they will do so.
Source: https://znews.vn/cai-tat-canh-tinh-real-madrid-post1546583.html
Comment (0)