Real Madrid superstar returns to his best as Ancelotti reverts to last season’s system | OneFootball

The Madrid derby that took place last Sunday was the first test of this Real Madrid team against a truly top-class team. Atletico Madrid was the only team against whom the Merengues had tasted defeat during the last season, but Ancelotti’s men would have been rather disappointed to get only a draw in this game at the Wanda Metropolitano.

The star forward Kylian Mbappe was absent for this match, and Ancelotti had to return to a 4-4-2 formation. The Italian had used this system with incredible results last season, as Los Blancos ended the 2023-24 season with a La Liga and a UEFA Champions League title.

As MARCA has noted, this change in the formation allowed one particular player to return to his best level, the English midfielder Jude Bellingham. The Englishman’s role in this match was crucial for Real Madrid, as he kept his cool whenever Simeone’s players amped up the pressure on him and helped his team retain possession in dangerous areas.

In fact, he lost the ball only once in this game and completed 55 out of the 56 passes he attempted on the night. He also won three duels against one of the most defensively competent teams in Europe and showed incredible stamina as he kept running to cover a lot of the ground for Ancelotti.

Furthermore, Bellingham’s presence with three other midfielders also helped Real Madrid keep a more compact defence, which helped neutralise the threat posed by the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Conor Gallagher, and Julian Alvarez to a significant extent.

Ancelotti might return to a 4-3-3 formation once Mbappe is back from his injury. However, the game against Atletico Madrid showed that Real Madrid are still more comfortable with the system that they used last season, especially as it helps bring the best out of Jude Bellingham.