There was all the talk about how spectacular a trio of Mbappé, Rodrygo, and Vinícius Jr. would be in Madrid, especially with Bellingham in the back. On a sheet of paper, that trio would be terrifying. Let’s be realistic, though: under Ancelotti, that vibe of a dream team never really materialised. One week, the team would be dominant, then the next week, there would be a total meltdown. And frankly, it wasn’t only the attack that was having a rough time. The defence got so badly ripped to shreds that it didn’t seem to matter which player was out the next week. And the midfield?
The season was a rough one for Real Madrid, having to stagger about the pitch. In total contrast, Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, had a total glow-up. They cruised through the season, and even the La Liga title seemed to be a stroll in the park. Barcelona’s midfield has shown that, with Raphinha in fine form and Robert Lewandowski still in the latter stages of his career and scoring at a world-class level, they will be very difficult to stop.
Real Madrid now has the difficult task of reclaiming the title from a very confident Barcelona side, seemingly built to win for years. New manager Xabi Alonso has a lot of work ahead of him, though fans certainly willing to back their side hoping for glory would certainly be more than willing to back their side hoping for glory under a new manager. You can check the latest predictions from experts to see how the change is likely to affect the title race.
Transfer Market Reshuffle
With Real Madrid having to patch some serious gaps within the defence, particularly with reliable fullbacks, it was only a matter of time until they swooped in to steal England international right back Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer shortly after his difficult breakup with Liverpool. They also added the left side cover by signing Benfica’s Álvaro Carreras and added the very promising Dean Huijsen for central defensive reinforcement.
Of course, simply adding new faces doesn’t fix the more central issues within the team. Their poor showing within the FIFA Club World Cup, especially the elimination against Paris Saint-Germain, highlighted the stark underperformance in a more properly structured game. The team certainly left much to be desired in the areas of pressing and defence.
Barcelona, however, shows a complete contrast. They only added Joan Garcia over a relatively quiet summer transfer window, but their squad depth and quality are still remarkable. They are still the clear title favourites. If they still somehow manage to get a strong winger like Marcus Rashford or Luis Díaz, they become even more dangerous. To be more direct, the Catalans are the standard; they are the team everyone has to beat.
Can Alonso engineer a title reclaim?
Alas, Madrid seems to be in the unfortunate position where reclaiming a title seems to need more than a few faces. Los Blancos need a new, effective, and efficient tactical shape to be utilised to best their stellar forwards. While Vinícius and Mbappé are not known to heavily press, a clever manager like Alonso should build a rational structure that meshes to cover this gap. The new structure should also improve control and clean circulation in the attacking phases. Madrid was lacklustre in this area within the PSG match, leaving suggestive and exploitable gaps in the sequence and control between the lines.
Barcelona took advantage of the structural problems during the La Liga encounters. Pedri, Fermín López, and Marc Casadó’s midfielders quickly gained control and outmanoeuvred the players from the Madrid midfield. Throughout the second Clásico, despite Barcelona’s efforts being dropped, they still managed to outsmart Madrid. This was emblematic of the difference in quality between the two teams, despite the scoreline being close because of individual brilliance from Mbappé.
Although Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde are world-class players, they do not possess the deep control and tempo-setting qualities that the Madrid midfield critically needs. This is something that needs to be sorted out to create a more harmonised midfield. Madrid should be working to solve the recurring issues in those central areas if it hopes to meet Barcelona on even ground.
The Essential Steps for Success
Real Madrid still needs to take steps to improve on what they already have. Central Madrid is still an area that needs to be developed. A misplaced pass, like those that Asencio and Rüdiger made against PSG, in that position, should not be tolerated. Goals can be lost, and titles can be lost. A reliable centre back should be a priority to compose the unstructured back line.
To finish the picture for Real Madrid, they certainly need a quality midfielder for balance, finesse, and command in the centre. This transfer is a must for the summer, else they will find themselves eternally trying to catch Barcelona and failing. Madrid have been linked to players like Vitinha, Enzo Fernández and midfielder Ángelo Stiller, who would all qualify for the role of a controller/facilitator, and Madrid really needs to stop their hesitation in the recruitment of midfielders. There is no more time.
Perfect Barcelona game control demonstrates the precise construction Madrid should aspire to, not just the glitzy attackers, but rather players tailored to manage the game and control the shifts in the transitions between attacking and defending. Alonso is the one who must convince the board that they must act, or they will head into the next season with the same weaknesses in their squad and that they suffered in the previous year. Certainly, that weakness will be hidden under the bright new players, like Mbappé and Bellingham, but for all the glitz, the real quality is still with Barcelona.
