What is the story about?
These
observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here.
Here is a new thing I’m committing to this season: Five semi-informal bullet points after each game.
- It was surprising to see Trent Alexander-Arnold omitted from the starting XI for the second consecutive game. Mario Cortegana and I were discussing it press row — Trent had an entire summer to train at Valdebebas and you would think the rotation would indicate that it’s Trent’s turn to start. I get it on some level: Denzel Dumfries had a good game against Espanyol and Mourinho has always valued defensive security in his full-back options. There is also another factor: Arda Güler has been starting as a pseudo right-winger, and Mourinho might want some extra defensive security on the flank. Dumfries struggled a bit against Real Sociedad. There were moments where he was blindsided by Real Sociedad players pressing him from behind, and some opportunities to pass it down the right flank but failed to pull it off (whereas Trent would’ve sniped those passes blindfolded). I do wonder if Dumfries starting is contingent on whether it’s Yan Diomande or Güler on the right wing. Dumfries did get into some good attacking positions but lacked end product.
- Two years ago, when Vinicius Jr was at the peak of his powers, he could have quiet or even bad games but then come up with a big moment — and that’s why you would keep him in the game. This game fell in line with that. He was far from his best, and of the attacking quartet — Vini, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler — he was the least consequential. But Mourinho is trying to juggle a fine line between taking him off and making sure his confidence doesn’t get further destroyed. He kept him on against Espanyol despite his poor performance, and he didn’t sub him out against Real Sociedad until Vinicius hit the back of the net and picked up a gorgeous assist. Fair. That’s a good way to re-instill some confidence in your starting left-winger.
- Bernardo Silva’s performance was overlooked. I get that there is absolutely no need for him to take the headlines over the incredible performances from Bellingham and Mbappe — but I even saw some criticism of Bernardo’s role in this game. Sometimes you have to look at the dirty work and not passing or assist numbers. Bernardo was excellent in the amount of ground he covered defensively and led the team in both tackles and interceptions. He is a savvy, mature reader of the game, and had really silky linkup from both deep positions and occasionally in the right half-space higher up the pitch.
- Jude Bellingham has been levitating ever since the World Cup. We saw the entire package against La Real: creative output, ball-winning, pressing, and finding solutions against low blocks. He is a cheat code in any situation because of the amount of things he can do at an elite level. Four key passes, two assists, three completed dribbles. He is both graceful and dirty, and somehow that goes hand in hand. You might see him glide out of pressure like Zinedine Zidane and invoke audible groans from the Bernabeu, and next thing you know, he’s hunting you down like Casemiro and winning the ball before pulling off an assist.
- Fede Valverde churned in a solid shift in the double pivot. I believe he will have to learn to adjust to this role and I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as he figures this out, and, we can re-asses his performances in this new scheme a month or two from now. He’s still not comfortable being the primary ball progresser — which is why you’d often see Güler or Bellingham drop deep behind him to receive the pass before sprinting back into the attacking third. His main source of ball progression is through ball-carrying, and not through passing. He’s an elite ball-carrier, and you saw how impossible it is to stop his drives on his assist to Kylian Mbappe.
- Bonus: Kylian Mbappe is an absolute freak.
