La Liga (Spanish League) Prediction Thread 2025/26

[dezoel]

What you said is very logical for Real Madrid and also for Ancelotti to think carefully as the coach of Real Madrid. Because previously Real Madrid also had better reserve players so that their performance was not so affected when their main players were injured. But for this season it seems to be a bit different so Ancelotti needs to find out where the problem is and try to solve it as soon as possible before Real Madrid really loses the chance to become champions again this season because they are late in fixing the problems that are happening in the team.

Real Madrid are facing some challenges this season including how they can continue to maintain their position and also their consistency in the league and Champions League when the storm of injuries is the main problem, but for those of us who have known and seen how Ancelotti extensive experience and have the capacity to overcome every problem.

When you win the league and UCL quite often, you get a bit of a leeway from the fans and this is why the yare not worried. Ancelotti won two UCL titles so far if I am not mistaken, and two la liga titles as well, this is good enough for him to keep his job even if he doesn't do great. Remember prior year? City won the UCL and Barcelona won the la liga with Xavi, that means Real won nothing and they waited because one year later, even without a striker, they still did great.

So, even if they have one bad season and end up not winning anything this year, they will still be feeling fine because they know next year they can win everything. This type of feeling the fans have for the team allows the players and staff to not have pressure, since they already gave the fans what they want recently, they can go one year without winning, and this is great. Only one who is feeling the pressure is Mbappe, who came in here to win, and if he fails then he will be upset and feel not delivered enough to fans.

[mv1986]

~

Well, Joselu didn't make that much of a difference and Nacho should be replaceable. Kroos is probably the only player who can't immediately be substituted by the players that are there already. But then again they were able to get Mbappe and I think every coach in the world would have said that the team didn't become any weaker when a few players leave but in return you can play with Mbappe from now on.

I absolutely disagree with your opinion said Joselu made no difference. In fact, he made a lot of difference, and he has even saved Real Madrid a few times. We wouldn't win UCL without his effort. And, replacing him with Endrick is a downgrade. Even though we clearly need regeneration in our attacker.

Kroos has always helped us control the game. He builds a solid rhythm between the midfielders and attackers. He is a genius passer. I see that none in the squad has someone who can replace him. Losing him has been hurting our squad a lot.

Seriously, look at their offense consisting of Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo and some others who can play offensively like Bellingham. They have a strong team that still is trying to find their best setup. But Real Madrid usually gets better with time and this is what I expect as well.  

Real Madrid has great attackers (Mbappe, Vini, Rodrygo). Yet, they looked poor in the last games. This is because they need someone who can feed them, and Kroos often did this. And they look so clueless after we lost Kroos. They need a good midfielder who can feed them all with a great pass.
[/quote]

Well then let me put it differently: you could always pick this one important goal and then say that the player was indispensable for the success. Take Mario Götze at the World Cup 2014 as an example. He scored the goal in the final, but was he any important for the team other than that? Now you could argue that Germany would have not won the World Cup without Götze, but how do you know? Maybe another striker would have been there to score the goal.

Joslu is a player who is reliable, yes, but this is not a very special finding or observation. If he wasn't any good, Real Madrid wouldn't have signed him and they would have gotten a different striker. But he won't go down in history for Real Madrid. That season was well played, he did a great job, but everyone knew that in an offensive line consisting of Mbappe and Rodrygo, he isn't quite the central striker they want. They'd rather want a prime Benzema or Higuain. This is again not to say that he is bad, but claiming that Real Madrid depended on him goes probably too far.

[Ruttoshi]

Mbappe is a newcomer so Ancelotti will not change the position of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo who are old Real Madrid players as wingers while what Ancelotti needs is a center forward so whether he likes it or not Mbappe must be ready for that position because from the start the coach must have said it and Mbappe must be ready for all the consequences, but in my opinion it won't take long for Mbappe to adapt to the team he is basically a pretty great player in the striker position he just changes his position but has the same task.

Mbappe is new and if Ancelotti should risk the position of replacing Vinicius and Rodrigo position will only put the club at more risk because they were there before Mbappe and they were playing better before he later joined so he was just like a plus to the club, mbappe needs to be more than ready because everyone is looking to what will happen when he starts playing forward-center. he should know that his going there to play a serious game and not for the fanciness of playing for real Madrid, and with time am very sure that his going to take proper shape in Madrid changing leagues is what is currently affecting him but time will tell exactly if the changing in the league is what is affecting mbappe or is becoming lazy but I still have faith in the young man that he will do what is right when the time is right, just like the case of Benzema, mbappe will surprise a lot of people.

Changing league is not really what is affecting Mbappe performance but playing as a center forward is a challenge to him, because he is not used to that position. Last season Real Madrid was able to win Laliga and UCL without Mbappe and that is why Ancelotti is converting him to a finisher and not a winger because he is the new player to the club.

Vini is doing his job perfectly and Rodrigo making it impossible for Mbappe to play their wings. With time Mbappe will become what he was brought into the club for which is to support the club in scoring endless goals.

[hahay]

-snip-

Both are important games and Barcelona should be able to win both. Both are important games but the game against Real Madrid in my personal opinion is much more important than the game against Munich. But the problem is that Barca has a bad record when facing Munich and a win will allow them to end Munich's dominance. On the other hand, the El Classico match is an important match for the club and the fans because of their rivalry. Barcelona is currently on fire. Real Madrid is also solid but they do have problems in defense. Although Barcelona is ranked 1st in the standings at the moment but I choose Real Madrid to win the match.

A tight match schedule with tough opponents for Barcelona and maybe also for Real Madrid. Barcelona will play against Sevilla and Bayern Munich at home, but after that Barcelona will play away in the el clasico match. For Real Madrid, they will still play at home against Dortmund and Barcelona and thus, maybe Real Madrid has a good chance not to lose in  the el clasico match. But, if it is related to the importance or not about the match against Bayern Manich in the Champions League and against Real Madrid in La Liga, I think it is clear that it is an important match for Barcelona not to lose.

But it seems that the match in the Champions League must be maximized by Barcelona because no matter what,Barcelona still has to get points to improve its position  in the Champions League standings. But at the same time, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also need points because currently their points in the Champions League are the same and they are in 15th, 16th and 17th positions. Thus, their match will still be a difficult match and not easy at all,  so any result is still very possible.

[lixer]

I had been a good fan of Simeone right from his appearance as ATM coach. There's no doubt he had in the past and still presently contributing immensely for the growth of the club. Prior his arrival in ATM, the club was struggling in the middle of the Laliga table. But after his arrival, he has been so consistent in the top 4if the Laliga table. Well, he has once lifted the title, but I think it is time a fresh body is introduced to the club. I think the boys are so used to him. The management needs to at this time take some risk. Who knows, it could turn out better than expected.

If I'm not mistaken, the investments that came into the club played a significant role in his success. But nevertheless, 2 La Liga titles + 2 Champions League finals are achievements that not every coach can boast of. As for the changes, they have been very relevant in recent years as Atletico has been stagnating, this season they have made certain changes and probably if this does not give results then Simeone will have to leave, he has been at the club for too long.

Which team we are talking about matters too. I mean if you are Real Madrid coach for this long, having two la liga titles and 2 UCL finals wouldn't be a good thing, everyone would consider that as bad and you would be fired long ago. But when you are talking about ATM, arguably third best team in all of Spain, then having these achievements is good. Sure they got a little bit of investment, but a lot, not enough to prove he is great.

The only downside he has is he is the highest paid manager of all time. He should be paid well enough, but 15 million is more than enough, even maybe 20 million would be a lot but acceptable, this dude made 30+ million for a while and now back to 30 million. This is way too much, most players do not make this kind of money, only a few players make more than him. I understand he is a great coach, but even the greatest coach shouldn't be making this much. In theory, the highest a coach should be paid is 20 million, not 30 million or more.

[Juse14]

I had been a good fan of Simeone right from his appearance as ATM coach. There's no doubt he had in the past and still presently contributing immensely for the growth of the club. Prior his arrival in ATM, the club was struggling in the middle of the Laliga table. But after his arrival, he has been so consistent in the top 4if the Laliga table. Well, he has once lifted the title, but I think it is time a fresh body is introduced to the club. I think the boys are so used to him. The management needs to at this time take some risk. Who knows, it could turn out better than expected.

If I'm not mistaken, the investments that came into the club played a significant role in his success. But nevertheless, 2 La Liga titles + 2 Champions League finals are achievements that not every coach can boast of. As for the changes, they have been very relevant in recent years as Atletico has been stagnating, this season they have made certain changes and probably if this does not give results then Simeone will have to leave, he has been at the club for too long.

Which team we are talking about matters too. I mean if you are Real Madrid coach for this long, having two la liga titles and 2 UCL finals wouldn't be a good thing, everyone would consider that as bad and you would be fired long ago. But when you are talking about ATM, arguably third best team in all of Spain, then having these achievements is good. Sure they got a little bit of investment, but a lot, not enough to prove he is great.

The only downside he has is he is the highest paid manager of all time. He should be paid well enough, but 15 million is more than enough, even maybe 20 million would be a lot but acceptable, this dude made 30+ million for a while and now back to 30 million. This is way too much, most players do not make this kind of money, only a few players make more than him. I understand he is a great coach, but even the greatest coach shouldn't be making this much. In theory, the highest a coach should be paid is 20 million, not 30 million or more.

If the coach can lead the team to the victory of trophies or an outstanding improvement in the performance of the club, then very high salaries are rational. Whereas in this case, despite leading Atlético Madrid to a quite good level, the consideration of 30 million or more as a salary seems extremely disproportionate, especially when compared to the top players who might be earning much more. For clubs like Atlético Madrid, which do not work according to the budget of Real Madrid or Barcelona, ​​the allocation of so much onto one single person raises questions regarding their expenditure effectiveness. More so when the salary in question is mostly very far above what other coaches get, despite that they are also very successful. In summary, the burdens an extremely high salary places on it and not always reflecting results on the field may make a coach an important asset to a club.

[Leviathan.007]

It is clear that Ancelotti will find a player on the bench who can replace the injured one, but does Real have a player of Carvajal's level on their bench? This is a rhetorical question, there is no such player, but they will just have to learn to play without him because he is out due to injury for a whole year. El Clasico is always a special game, and this confrontation is always unpredictable, every season due to different circumstances one of the teams can be stronger and despite Real's losses, I am ready to say that Barcelona can beat Real.

I am very confident that Carlo Ancelotti will be able to find a solution, perhaps even changing strategy and formations
After all, you may have noticde how he is a strategist on the football pitch and Real Madrid have in fact won a lot with him while spending relatively little, just see past years

The sad thing for Real Madrid and for their coach is about their academy. Since Carvajal got injured Real Madrid couldn't find a younger player in the academy to fill his place in the team and I saw today even on the radio Marca they were talking about it. Carvajal is definitely a good player but Real Madrid should be able to find replacements for him in the academy instead of buying a new player.
In Barcelona, they hired many players from the academy but it seems the academy in Real Madrid is much weaker than it should be.

[RockBell]

A tight match schedule with tough opponents for Barcelona and maybe also for Real Madrid. Barcelona will play against Sevilla and Bayern Munich at home, but after that Barcelona will play away in the el clasico match. For Real Madrid, they will still play at home against Dortmund and Barcelona and thus, maybe Real Madrid has a good chance not to lose in  the el clasico match. But, if it is related to the importance or not about the match against Bayern Manich in the Champions League and against Real Madrid in La Liga, I think it is clear that it is an important match for Barcelona not to lose.

Barcelona might be able to handle what ever tough schedule they will find a of settling it and as for Madrid we know how they can be they are ever ready for what ever circumstances that will come their way, those two clubs that is Sevilla and Bayern they won't go easy on their self, but am trusting that they will all they can but Madrid and Barcelona and the moment you see Real Madrid playing home is not going to be easy for Barcelona to be able to be able to win Madrid in that situation. And now it's going to be hard because they but have the fire in they so it's really going to be a clash.

But it seems that the match in the Champions League must be maximized by Barcelona because no matter what,Barcelona still has to get points to improve its position  in the Champions League standings. But at the same time, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid also need points because currently their points in the Champions League are the same and they are in 15th, 16th and 17th positions. Thus, their match will still be a difficult match and not easy at all,  so any result is still very possible.

And Barcelona want to do everything to show that they are redeemed their self and if Barcelona is able to win Real Madrid then we are going to know that this season actually belongs to Barcelona, and if it is actually champions league we already know the king and we are not going everyone participating needs the point, this is the reason why everyone is participating, to get more points and participating, and for now everyone is at the verge of getting points.

[Velvet78]

I am very confident that Carlo Ancelotti will be able to find a solution, perhaps even changing strategy and formations
After all, you may have noticde how he is a strategist on the football pitch and Real Madrid have in fact won a lot with him while spending relatively little, just see past years

I agree on this topic. Ancelotti is really a wonderful manager. He is great at creating new strategies when he is having problems in a position in his formation. He tries some different players out of their natural positions to see whether it works. For example Bellingham.    He was a CM before coming to Real Madrid but now he is a much more attacking player. We see him mainly playing as an AM and even a winger or striker when there is a need.

I can't say he is a great choice as a striker though.    Anyways, my point is probably Ancelotti can apply this formula for Carvajal's position too. He doesn't need to do it though while there is Vazquez but I'm just saying.

[BitcoinHunt3r]

Both are important games and Barcelona should be able to win both. Both are important games but the game against Real Madrid in my personal opinion is much more important than the game against Munich. But the problem is that Barca has a bad record when facing Munich and a win will allow them to end Munich's dominance. On the other hand, the El Classico match is an important match for the club and the fans because of their rivalry. Barcelona is currently on fire. Real Madrid is also solid but they do have problems in defense. Although Barcelona is ranked 1st in the standings at the moment but I choose Real Madrid to win the match.

Well usually for important matches like this usually the coach has a strategy to overcome it and of course we don't know what is planned. If you are a coach, what will you do to face 2 important matches on the same week? generally the coach will choose the one who is called the most important and put the main players on the lineup or prepare several players in the second half, if the situation is safe the players will be saved for the next fight, anyway there are many ways.

But honestly for the upcoming El Clasico match I don't really hope for Barcelona because Real Madrid as a home team will dominate and might win the match, I did not underestimate Barcelona but that was only my opinion and based on the opportunities of each team.

[Weawant]

Madrid is in a bad condition after many of their players are injured this time, so it does require them to strengthen the squad in the transfer market later, but I hope that when the transfer market opens later it should not be too late for them as title contenders this season, the injuries of several defenders should be a concern for Ancelotti to strengthen the backline especially this season they have a busy schedule,there are several transfer rumors circulating regarding players who may be brought in in the winter transfer market, some of the names that appear are cambiaso , saliba and also alexander asrnold from liverpool to strengthen their defensive line later, with strong finances and a great reputation as a championship team, of course Real Madrid does has a great attraction for many top european players, So if they manage to bring in these players then I think Madrid problem is over.

Actually getting new players isn't the issue Madrid needs to tackle currently, rather what they really need to tackle currently is a tactic to keep them a float in times when they will be need to  hold on till their players come back from injuries just like in this case because the last time i checked, Madrid has got are a really good squad such that they have even a good substitute as well as the first 11 but it appears the injury wave this period did struck hard, except if some players become injury prone and Madrid would want to get them replaced i don't think they need do any transfer currently.

[mv1986]

Both are important games and Barcelona should be able to win both. Both are important games but the game against Real Madrid in my personal opinion is much more important than the game against Munich. But the problem is that Barca has a bad record when facing Munich and a win will allow them to end Munich's dominance. On the other hand, the El Classico match is an important match for the club and the fans because of their rivalry. Barcelona is currently on fire. Real Madrid is also solid but they do have problems in defense. Although Barcelona is ranked 1st in the standings at the moment but I choose Real Madrid to win the match.

Well usually for important matches like this usually the coach has a strategy to overcome it and of course we don't know what is planned. If you are a coach, what will you do to face 2 important matches on the same week? generally the coach will choose the one who is called the most important and put the main players on the lineup or prepare several players in the second half, if the situation is safe the players will be saved for the next fight, anyway there are many ways.

But honestly for the upcoming El Clasico match I don't really hope for Barcelona because Real Madrid as a home team will dominate and might win the match, I did not underestimate Barcelona but that was only my opinion and based on the opportunities of each team.

It all depends on the available players. When Barcelona had its best times, they had like 15 top players and almost didn't matter whether one or the other played. Of course some can't be replaced, but still that's what it is important. How many players are injured? Who is in top condition?  It's all about that. Imagine Lewandowksi or Kane would be injured. Both teams had some problems to replace their central striker, which is quite normal. But if the coach sees that everyone is on a top level mentally and physically, he will surely pick the best eleven players for both games. It#<s not the time yet to take too many actions in terms of rotation if it is not necessary or if the player is not super young and unexperienced.

[Asiska02]

Mbappe is a newcomer so Ancelotti will not change the position of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo who are old Real Madrid players as wingers while what Ancelotti needs is a center forward so whether he likes it or not Mbappe must be ready for that position because from the start the coach must have said it and Mbappe must be ready for all the consequences, but in my opinion it won't take long for Mbappe to adapt to the team he is basically a pretty great player in the striker position he just changes his position but has the same task.

The switch in his position may have affected his effectiveness in the game and that is why he needs to be able to adapt to any change that comes his way in the new team. Mbappe should know how to play in a versatile role and that’s what Ancelotti wants him to understand in order to take on that new role given to him. The existing players has better mastered their positions more and they have no choice than to fix Mbappe into where the void is since he can adapt to it overtime. I’m really hoping that he gets into his best form soon, because Real Madrid are still yet to unlock all of his potential as a player yet.

And Barcelona want to do everything to show that they are redeemed their self and if Barcelona is able to win Real Madrid then we are going to know that this season actually belongs to Barcelona, and if it is actually champions league we already know the king and we are not going everyone participating needs the point, this is the reason why everyone is participating, to get more points and participating, and for now everyone is at the verge of getting points.

The Barcelona team are really the king of the La Liga for now because no team has earned their points or have performed so well than them this season. There first position on the table was really worth it. Now that they’re preparing for the big game, they need to be in their best position in order to prevail in this match. Real Madrid is just not any team and their weakness cannot be used to judge them until otherwise they’re able to win against them with a better strategy. I like Real Madrid’s way and you can’t use their present condition to vote against what their next match will be.

[Docnaster]

I am very confident that Carlo Ancelotti will be able to find a solution, perhaps even changing strategy and formations
After all, you may have noticde how he is a strategist on the football pitch and Real Madrid have in fact won a lot with him while spending relatively little, just see past years

I agree on this topic. Ancelotti is really a wonderful manager. He is great at creating new strategies when he is having problems in a position in his formation. He tries some different players out of their natural positions to see whether it works. For example Bellingham.    He was a CM before coming to Real Madrid but now he is a much more attacking player. We see him mainly playing as an AM and even a winger or striker when there is a need.

I can't say he is a great choice as a striker though.    Anyways, my point is probably Ancelotti can apply this formula for Carvajal's position too. He doesn't need to do it though while there is Vazquez but I'm just saying.

Lucas Vasquez will perfectly fit in the boots of Real Madrid's right back position so I don't think Carlo Ancelotti has a problem replacing the injured Dani Carvajal. However, I think the club will have to get another right back in January so he can deputize Vasquez and play in matches the manager decides to rest Vasquez.
Carlo Ancelotti have in the past shown that he's got the needed experience to manage a top team that's been hit with injury crises and I don't have any doubt that he'll still deliver a great season for Real Madrid despite the injury concerns in the squad

[Zaguru12]

It all depends on the available players. When Barcelona had its best times, they had like 15 top players and almost didn't matter whether one or the other played. Of course some can't be replaced, but still that's what it is important. How many players are injured? Who is in top condition?  It's all about that. Imagine Lewandowksi or Kane would be injured. Both teams had some problems to replace their central striker, which is quite normal. But if the coach sees that everyone is on a top level mentally and physically, he will surely pick the best eleven players for both games. It#<s not the time yet to take too many actions in terms of rotation if it is not necessary or if the player is not super young and unexperienced.

At this period Barcelona would just be hopeful that the players can handle the both matches. I have thought of team rotation and I will say both matches are seriously important at this stage. Barcelona have already lost a champions league match already and another loss to Bayern Munich will mean they have just one more game to lose to miss out on the direct qualification. For the Laliga match they have lost one and it basically when he wanted to do a rotation which shows that Barcelona doesn’t have that squad to do heavy rotation now.

If they decide to do it against Real Madrid even if Madrid wins they will still remain on the top with a point but that will be a moral boost to Real Madrid if they win the el classico and would be a pressure on Barcelona. Let Hansi click just stick to his formation and hopefully they don’t get injured

[mv1986]

~

At this period Barcelona would just be hopeful that the players can handle the both matches. I have thought of team rotation and I will say both matches are seriously important at this stage. Barcelona have already lost a champions league match already and another loss to Bayern Munich will mean they have just one more game to lose to miss out on the direct qualification. For the Laliga match they have lost one and it basically when he wanted to do a rotation which shows that Barcelona doesn’t have that squad to do heavy rotation now.

If they decide to do it against Real Madrid even if Madrid wins they will still remain on the top with a point but that will be a moral boost to Real Madrid if they win the el classico and would be a pressure on Barcelona. Let Hansi click just stick to his formation and hopefully they don’t get injured

Rotation, if not necessary, would be self-destructive. The last match that Barcelona has lost in La Liga was due to rotation in my opinion. You can say that if they don't rotate, some players become more susceptible to injuries and yet it is sometimes a gamble a coach has to take. Now the two games in the Champions League and in La Liga are both of high importance. Neither would a coach want to rotate in a game against Bayern, nor would a coach rotate in a La Liga game that is one game before the Clasico as it is important to stay in front of Real Madrid. You can already see that the new Champions League format is increasing the burden for the players. And they have to play all these Nations League games on top of that.

[imamusma]

~~

I agree on this topic. Ancelotti is really a wonderful manager. He is great at creating new strategies when he is having problems in a position in his formation. He tries some different players out of their natural positions to see whether it works. For example Bellingham.    He was a CM before coming to Real Madrid but now he is a much more attacking player. We see him mainly playing as an AM and even a winger or striker when there is a need.

I can't say he is a great choice as a striker though.    Anyways, my point is probably Ancelotti can apply this formula for Carvajal's position too. He doesn't need to do it though while there is Vazquez but I'm just saying.

Lucas Vasquez will perfectly fit in the boots of Real Madrid's right back position so I don't think Carlo Ancelotti has a problem replacing the injured Dani Carvajal. However, I think the club will have to get another right back in January so he can deputize Vasquez and play in matches the manager decides to rest Vasquez.
Carlo Ancelotti have in the past shown that he's got the needed experience to manage a top team that's been hit with injury crises and I don't have any doubt that he'll still deliver a great season for Real Madrid despite the injury concerns in the squad

Ancelotti genius will be tested again, with the addition of injured defenders, the lack of rotation options complicating the situation within the team. However, we have seen last season, when Ancelotti managed to remove various concerns, this season it seems he will repeat it again. Most likely, Real Madrid will not look for new players in the January transfer window, Ancelotti seems to prioritize maximizing the potential of the available players. We certainly realize that it is quite difficult to find quality defenders in the January transfer window, because every club will try to retain their players while the season is running. Besides that, Lucas Vasquez can of course be relied on, and it is possible that Ancelotti will experiment with other players.

[TelolettOm]

Luckily, I read the news that some of their players will return from their injuries in El Classico later, such as Courtois and Miliato who are scheduled to be ready on October 10th. So, at least this is much better than the current condition.

Looking at the current condition of Real Madrid team doesn't give anyone the expression that they will be able to win El Clasico, but we might see a different thing because no one knows Ancelotti plans and strategy that he will come up with on the match day. Ancelotti should not be underestimated because he knows how to win important matches. Carvajal might be out and his absence will definitely bs felt but the substitute is the only option and he might perform better than expected.

Please don't say this mate, my heart hurts.   hahaha

But it's true, especially since Barcelona's performance is currently on fire and in very good condition, along with Hansi Flick and especially Lewy and Yamal who are really on fire in their performance. So, this will again be a fairly predictable match, and as usual, we don't even know the final result until the final whistle is clearly blown.

Oh by the way, this is related to the new Club World Cup, it seems that there are talks between La Liga and FIFA regarding the event. Because FIFA has decided and they have emphasized it. It's just that the clubs in La Liga do not agree with it. If this really happens and must be followed without any right to refuse, then just imagine how tired and dense the matches of these players will be in the future, now it's already this dense,


Source: President of La Liga speaks about preparing a lawsuit against FIFA.

[TopT3ns]

~~

I agree on this topic. Ancelotti is really a wonderful manager. He is great at creating new strategies when he is having problems in a position in his formation. He tries some different players out of their natural positions to see whether it works. For example Bellingham.    He was a CM before coming to Real Madrid but now he is a much more attacking player. We see him mainly playing as an AM and even a winger or striker when there is a need.

I can't say he is a great choice as a striker though.    Anyways, my point is probably Ancelotti can apply this formula for Carvajal's position too. He doesn't need to do it though while there is Vazquez but I'm just saying.

Lucas Vasquez will perfectly fit in the boots of Real Madrid's right back position so I don't think Carlo Ancelotti has a problem replacing the injured Dani Carvajal. However, I think the club will have to get another right back in January so he can deputize Vasquez and play in matches the manager decides to rest Vasquez.
Carlo Ancelotti have in the past shown that he's got the needed experience to manage a top team that's been hit with injury crises and I don't have any doubt that he'll still deliver a great season for Real Madrid despite the injury concerns in the squad

Ancelotti genius will be tested again, with the addition of injured defenders, the lack of rotation options complicating the situation within the team. However, we have seen last season, when Ancelotti managed to remove various concerns, this season it seems he will repeat it again. Most likely, Real Madrid will not look for new players in the January transfer window, Ancelotti seems to prioritize maximizing the potential of the available players. We certainly realize that it is quite difficult to find quality defenders in the January transfer window, because every club will try to retain their players while the season is running. Besides that, Lucas Vasquez can of course be relied on, and it is possible that Ancelotti will experiment with other players.

Ancelotti is being a very tactical minded coach, and he enjoys more challenges such as this one. With more defenders getting injured the problem that Real Madrid is faced with is even bigger one especially considering that rotation possibilities are getting slimmer. However, Ancelotti demonstrated only during the last season that he could manage the limited resources and invent ways how to overcome some difficulties, or at least how to compensate for them as everyone expected him to fail in this area. He appears likely to again lean on his scholarship in handling the team this season as he tries to balance performance without overworking the players to an extent of fatigue.

Such a situation is quite understandable knowing the fact that Ancelotti has chosen not to rely on the January transfer windows but instead rely on the players he has at his disposal. All in all, since it is always very challenging to attract top talents and quality defenders in the middle of the second round, this move makes a great deal of sense. Some of the outfield players, such as the ever-invariant Lucas Vázquez would have had to deputize to fill in the gaps in the defensive line, but there are lot of other players as well that Ancelotti has to tinker around with players in order to come up with the best formation. This decision proves him realistic and believing in the versatility of the players he already has and this one also reveals how versatile Ancelotti is still in terms of tactics.

[Hirose UK]

Ronald Araujo, Barcelona reliable defender is reported to have recovered quite well after the injury he suffered while defending Uruguay at the 2024 Copa America and it is likely that we will be able to see him defend Barcelona again this season if his recovery can really be as targeted.
In several season, Ronald Araujo has made good contribution in helping to strengthen the team defense line and he has always been player who is quite reliable for Xavi, who was Barcelona coach before being replaced by Hansi Flick.
If in the future Hansi Flick can take advantage of Ronald Araujo performance in Barcelona main squad when he has recovered, then it is certain that they will have better strength in the back line and this will be very helpful to be able to compete well in several competitions that will be followed this season.



https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1844686071226835062?t=spxlHW5gjSQTlYBJ59M40A&s=19