Real Madrid Lacks Power. Mbappé, Vinícius, & Bellingham Aren't Enough

What should Carlo Ancelotti do?

Since Carlo Ancelotti's return, Real seems almost unbeatable. The team can change formations multiple times during a match. They don’t have an unmistakable style — and that is their style. Real is a master of flexibility and compromise. Ancelotti's two main principles are brilliantly executed on the field.

Last season, Real played without a true striker, without their main goalkeeper, and with only one healthy central defender. They always found a solution! Credit goes to the Italian coach and the players, who have so much class and intelligence that they can adapt to any difficulties.

This summer, Real lost two key players — Toni Kroos, the midfield metronome, and Nacho, the unsung hero ready to cover any defensive position fearlessly. These are serious losses, but Real has shown that it can overcome almost anything with flexibility and adaptability.

Kylian Mbappé and Endrick joined, and their star power seemed to cover the gaps between Kroos and Nacho. This is not about positional replacements but maintaining the team's overall high level. While they lost critical figures in midfield and defense, their attack has been significantly boosted.

However, the match against Mallorca, which Real couldn't win, showed that there were losses in attack too. Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius, and Rodrygo combined beautifully, creating a stunning goal, and could have scored more. Yet, the result was 1-1. Why? Firstly, credit must be given to Mallorca. Jagoba Arrasate’s team showed iron discipline and withstood the high intensity in the unbearable Balearic heat.

Secondly, no matter how many stars Real has, they still need time to gel, which is normal. While adjusting, Madrid will face challenges against structured and gritty teams like Mallorca, especially away from home. Finally, in the end, Ancelotti's team simply lacked power. They needed someone to physically challenge Mallorca's strong defenders, to break through them and either score themselves or create opportunities for teammates. Real missed Joselu.

In light of the departures of Kroos and Nacho, Joselu's exit went largely unnoticed. Everyone was charmed by his fairytale story — returning to Real after many years and winning almost every title. But his contribution to Madrid's success last season seems underrated. He wasn’t the central star and didn’t offer the flair of Vinícius or Jude. But he was instrumental.

Joselu knew precisely when he needed to come on and what he had to do. And crucially, he was happy to sit on the bench and was never toxic. Joselu wasn’t a typical target man. For his size, he was pretty technical. But Real already has enough technical players without him. He allowed Ancelotti to simplify the game when necessary. And in matches like the one against Mallorca this season, Joselu would help Real push through.

In this context, "pushing through" doesn’t mean coming on late and scoring in the 90th minute. Joselu did that, too (like in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern), but it’s not just about that. "Pushing through" means applying even more pressure on an opponent defending deep, to the point where they crack, with no escape from Real's relentless attacking force.

Right now, Real doesn’t have a player like that. Mbappé is different. Endrick is different, too — and still very young, having yet to make a substitute appearance. Perhaps Ancelotti will use Jude or someone else more physically imposing to increase direct pressure on opponents. But against Mallorca, if that was the plan, it didn’t work.

Amid all of Real's positives, the absence of Joselu seems like a minor issue. And really, for Madrid, it seems almost sinful to complain about lacking attacking options when they have Mbappé, Viní, Bellingham, and others like Brahim Díaz. But not all that glitters is gold. Or rather, even what doesn’t glitter can be gold. That’s Joselu.

His loss isn’t fatal, of course. But it shouldn’t be underestimated either. There will undoubtedly be matches when Ancelotti, out of habit, will look for Joselu on the bench. And he’ll be disappointed not to find him there.

Published by Patrick Jane
21.08.2024