REAL Madrid’s attacking superstars need no introduction but behind them lies a soft, vulnerable underbelly which Arsenal aim to exploit on Tuesday in a Champions League quarter-final first leg clash.
Carlo Ancelotti’s forwards have not always been able to varnish over the team’s defensive deficiencies, as was the case in a 2-1 defeat by Valencia on Saturday in La Liga.
The surprise loss left Real Madrid four points behind leaders Barcelona and was their 10th of the season across all competitions.
Last year as Madrid became Spanish and European champions, they suffered just two all season.
Ancelotti in part attributes the change to Kylian Mbappe’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, offering Madrid extra edge in attack at the expense of protection in the back.
Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes were the team’s main stars going forward last season and Mbappe has joined them to form a quartet.
Madrid also lost Toni Kroos last summer, with the German retiring, and they miss his poise and precision in midfield.
“This year we are much more effective up front because of the arrival of Mbappe, who has 33 goals, and there is a bit more suffering at the back,” said Ancelotti last week.
“When you have to choose, it can happen… we’re thinking about having this effectiveness and doing a bit more collective work defensively.”
To make matters worse for Madrid, holding midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is suspended for the visit to the Emirates.
Goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin have also been out with fitness concerns, with 19-year-old Fran Gonzalez making his debut against Valencia, although both may be fit by Tuesday.
“I think we could have both of them back,” said Ancelotti after the Valencia defeat.
“Opponents don’t need to work hard to score against us,” continued Ancelotti, after Hugo Duro’s 95th-minute winner stunned the Santiago Bernabeu.
The defeat came four days after Real Madrid let in four goals at home against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey, although they progressed to reach the final 5-4 on aggregate.
Los Blancos have conceded 31 league goals so far this season, five more than in the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign.
In the Champions League, defeats by Liverpool, AC Milan and Ligue 1 side Lille forced Madrid into the new play-off round, where they outgunned Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate.
That tie exhibited Madrid’s new approach at its best, with Mbappe bagging four goals against Pep Guardiola’s underwhelming City, but sterner opposition will be able to exploit Madrid’s flaws.
In their run to Wembley last season Madrid did not lose a single match in the Champions League.
Long-term injuries to Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao have created problems for Ancelotti at the back, while David Alaba only recently made his comeback and is still far from his best.
Madrid did not make defensive signings last summer, even though it appeared an area which could have been strengthened.
Ancelotti has turned to 22-year-old Raul Asencio to reasonable effect, although he is far from an established figure, while Antonio Rudiger does the best he can to keep Madrid’s defence afloat.
Rudiger, along with Mbappe, was given a suspended one-match ban by UEFA, clearing them to play against Arsenal, after their celebrations following the last 16 win over Atletico were deemed indecent conduct.
At times Ancelotti has been guilty of mixed messaging over what he wants from his strikers.
“I prefer he scores goals (rather) than he presses,” the coach said of Mbappe in October, while at other times demanding a higher work-rate from the France forward and Vinicius.
Ancelotti will hope that while he continues working on the balance between attack and defence, Mbappe and company can score more than Madrid concede.