Just hours before the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Real Madrid and Arsenal, Carlo Ancelotti is leaning towards a decision that won’t please everyone.
Heavily beaten in the first leg (3-0), Real Madrid will go on the attack against the Gunners on Wednesday evening at the Santiago Bernabéu. For this crucial encounter, Carlo Ancelotti will not have his full squad available. Indeed, unlike Dani Ceballos — who returned from injury earlier than expected and is clearly pushing for a starting place — Ferland Mendy has not recovered in time. Ruled out of the second leg, the French left-back leaves the coaching staff with just two limited options: Fran Garcia or David Alaba.
A second chance for Alaba?
With Eduardo Camavinga suspended — the French midfielder who usually fills in on the left — Carlo Ancelotti has no choice but to decide between Alaba and Fran Garcia. Already a starter in the first leg, the Austrian veteran, who was not beyond criticism (as in recent games with the Madrid side), is the favourite to start again on Wednesday. Despite his weaknesses and his struggles to contain Bukayo Saka, the former Bayern Munich man is ahead of Garcia in the pecking order.
According to Ancelotti, Alaba offers more value on the left side against the Gunners than young Fran (25), who is still quite unconvincing defensively. Determined to field tall players at the back to deal with aerial threats — and, above all, physical power to handle Mikel Arteta’s lively young talents — Ancelotti is expected, barring any surprises, to stick with the same defence used in the first leg.
The limits of Real Madrid’s squad
Let’s be honest: this is probably not the coaching staff’s preferred option. If Ferland Mendy were available, he would be starting. Despite some inconsistencies, the Frenchman performs better defensively than the other left-backs in the squad. If there were more depth on the bench, Carlo Ancelotti would certainly opt for someone other than David Alaba. Should Madrid produce another catastrophic display and be knocked out of the Champions League, blame will likely fall on Florentino Pérez.
In recent months, the president of Los Blancos has been frugal in the transfer market. Instead of spending money to bring in new talent, Florentino Pérez forced Carlo Ancelotti to work with what he had. But with a packed calendar and growing fatigue among the players, the squad’s situation has worsened over the weeks. One way or another, Real Madrid’s squad will need rebuilding at the end of the season — possibly with a new coaching staff — in order to better respond to the challenges of next year.
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