When the first leg of the "Euroderby" between Real Madrid and Atletico ended, things seemed to be in place for Los Blancos to finally defeat Diego Simeone and his men at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. After one week, an injury-plagued team will have to shift its tactics in order to stand a chance against the feisty Atletico side, while Carlo Ancelotti still fights to maintain his spot as Real Madrid's boss.
Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric came down with a series of injuries that have depleted Real Madrid, forcing Ancelotti to think about alternatives to surprise Atletico. Furthermore, the absence of Marcelo for picking up his second yellow card of the knockout stages adds some problems for Los Merengues.
Is Ancelotti fit for this challenge? Does he have enough manpower to keep up the team's recent form, which seemed to be bouncing back after struggling for a couple of months? And more importantly: Is his team ready to endure a physical game such as the one in hand, without any further losses? Here are the options Ancelotti has been apparently thinking about.
4-3-3: Keeping the BBC formation...without the BBC
With Bale and Benzema out, Ancelotti may be thinking about shifting the team's attack to strenghten his midfield, giving Cristiano Ronaldo the chance to move up front as he desires. Even without two of the three components of the BBC, Ancelotti could still be loyal to the formation that gave the team the now legendary streak of 22 victories, but using three players that have not played together regularly.
With CR7 as the only starter available, Ancelotti may use James as a right wingman, a position he played when Gareth Bale was out of commission due to injury, leaving Karim Benzema's duties to "Chicharito" Hernández. The Mexican has been used in the past four games, scoring one goal and dishing out an assist in the last match against Malaga, and he seems to be in good form.
Another option for Ancelotti would be starting Jesé as a right wingman, giving James and Cristiano the other two spots in the lineup. While the team is used to play this way, it is uncertain how Jesé or James could perform in places they haven't played in a while, so it would be a bold bet by the Italian manager to keep his tactics despite not having his all-star cast.
"Chicharito" and CR7 seem to be getting along in the few games they have shared.
Complete formation: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao; Kroos, Illarra, Isco; James, "Chicharito", Ronaldo.
4-4-2: The formation with less question marks
Carlo Ancelotti is a man that knows how to get the most out of his players, and with this formation he could be able to do so and leave some talent on the bench if things get tougher. This is a formation that suits the team better when Bale is not around, but the key with this lineup lies on the midfield.
With Kroos being the safest bet in the center of the pitch, it seems that the three remaining spots would be landed by Illarramendi, James and Isco. Illarra's presence could give Kroos the chance to contribute up front, while James and Isco take the wings. Without Benzema, Ancelotti could line up Jesé and CR7 for a speedy attack, or give "Chicharito" the option as he did against Malaga.
With either option, the Italian boss could keep on the bench Khedira and Lucas Silva, while either Jesé or Hernandez wait for their chance. Other option would involve using Khedira as a starter, but it seems that Number 6 does not count anymore for Ancelotti after failing to solve his future with the team.
Asier Illarramendi and Toni Kroos seem to be Ancelotti's bets to hold Atletico's midfielders.
Complete formation: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao; Kroos, Illarra, James, Isco; "Chicharito", Ronaldo.
5-3-2: A bold but effective move yet to be tried
If Ancelotti wants to surprise Simeone, this would be a good way to do it. Reports from Spain have established that the Italian rehearsed on Monday with this formation, which would include Varane as a third center back, giving Carvajal and Coentrao the chance to go up without being too concerned about leaving their flanks unprotected.
Illarramendi would take Modric's place, and either James or Isco could take the remaining spot alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Ancelotti would definitely surprise most experts with this formation, but the major point against it is simply this: Ancelotti has never tried it in a competitive match. If the experiment fails, then Ancelotti's job would be in serious jeopardy, even considering all the absences the team has endured in the past week.
Pepe, Varane and Ramos back in 2013, in one of the few games the three played together.
Complete formation: Casillas; Carvajal, Ramos, Pepe, Varane, Coentrao; Kroos, Illarra, Isco; Ronaldo, James.
Ancelotti's squad will suffer against Atletico, and how he draws the game tactically could mean his rise to stardom or his ultimate downfall. Let's not forget that, when Modric and Ramos were not available last February, Los Blancos suffered one of the most humiliating defeats against their neighbors. Ancelotti's plan has to be completely balanced, because Simeone and his squad will surely take advantage if the Italian hesitates or makes a wrong move.
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