After their elimination from the Champions League, Real Madrid are under pressure to win the Copa del Rey against Barça next Saturday. To save his job, Carlo Ancelotti must make bold decisions — one of which concerns the left side of the defence, where Lamine Yamal is expected to feature.
Still chasing a treble this season, Real Madrid failed in their mission last week. Facing Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, Carlo Ancelotti’s side collapsed (5–1) on aggregate. Now eliminated, only the Copa del Rey remains, along with the faint hope of winning La Liga. Before the final six league matches that will determine the Spanish champion, the Madrid-based club will face FC Barcelona next Saturday in Seville in the Copa del Rey final.
Ancelotti’s tactical adjustments
Already beaten twice this season by the Catalan side, Real Madrid cannot afford another mistake in this upcoming clash. Speaking at a press conference following their narrow win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu, Carlo Ancelotti hinted that he might switch to a different system from the one used in this season’s previous Clásicos. “The team played well. We were too slow in the first half, but in the second half we were excellent in all areas. We wanted to win and bounce back after the elimination, and the team did that,” he initially stated.
“My favourite formation is the 4-4-2 because it’s the best defensively. That doesn’t mean I have to field four central midfielders. In fact, we’ve played that way with Vini Jr. on one side and Rodrygo on the other. We can also play 4-4-2 with six midfielders, because two of them can push forward into attack,” added the Madrid coach, who clearly intends to strengthen his defence and cause trouble for the Catalans in this showdown.
Speaking of the defence, one of the most decisive choices will be at left-back, especially as it is almost certain that Federico Valverde, Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rüdiger will start against Barça on Saturday night — unless there’s a last-minute injury. Since Ferland Mendy’s injury, and with him struggling to recover as quickly as Dani Ceballos did, Carlo Ancelotti has been hesitating between Fran García, David Alaba, and Eduardo Camavinga, who played at left-back against Bilbao on Sunday.
David Alaba at left-back against Barça
According to reports, the Real Madrid boss is planning to start Fran García next Wednesday in the 33rd La Liga matchday against Getafe, in order to give David Alaba some minutes before using him against Barça on Saturday. Clearly unconvinced by García in big matches, Ancelotti is expected to start Alaba against the lively Lamine Yamal. Despite disappointing against Arsenal, the Austrian defender still enjoys his manager’s trust thanks to his height and defensive aggression.
That said, it’s worth noting that at 33, Alaba no longer has the explosiveness required to deal with Lamine Yamal and Jules Koundé, who form a strong partnership on that flank. If Ancelotti wants to get things right, it would be wiser to start Camavinga in Saturday’s Clásico.
Even though he is not a natural left-back, the French midfielder is capable — when fully alert — of shutting down opponents on that side. Tough, tenacious, and fast, the former Rennes player has already proven himself on the left. On Saturday night, it would be valuable to start him rather than David Alaba, who arguably should no longer be starting major matches for Real Madrid.
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