Improve point tally
Last season, Los Blancos registered 86 points. We drew eight (8) games, lost four (4) and won twenty-six (26). In the 2019/20 season we won the league with 87 points, so this season we won by one less point. Ultimately, all that matters is winning the league but some level of improvement must be expected each season. We should be aiming to defend our league title and in doing so, improve our point tally to the 90’s.
Better our offensive and defensive aerial threat
Our biggest weakness last season was our ability to defend crosses into the box whether it be from set pieces or from direct crosses. The addition of Rudiger significantly improves that area. The German averaged 2.02 aerials won per 90 last season. To put this into perspective, Alaba averaged 0.78 per 90. This is another reason why many fans think Alaba is more suited to the left-back position. Alaba is still a world-class center back who was instrumental in our recent success, but his lack of aerial presence is a concern. Militao’s aerial stats is actually better than Rudiger’s which shows the possibility of the two being the main center-back pair is high.
Check out my article on how Real Madrid could possibly lineup next season-https://fantomsportsindustries.com/how-can-real-madrid-line-up-next-season/
Find tactical solutions to break down teams with low blocks
Playing against teams who defend deep and restrict space for you to exploit is one of the most difficult things in football. Most teams we dropped points to last season deployed a low-block. The match against Cadiz at the Bernabeu comes to mind. They suffocated our attack and we resorted to the dreaded cross and pray tactic. Some fans question why teams play this “anti football” but the aim of the game is to win and that is the only way they can win or survive against superior opposition.
For me, there are two ways in which one can break down a low block team. These are width and creativity. The opposition wants you to play through the middle as much as possible because they defend very narrowly. If you make the pitch as wide as possible, with overlapping full backs, you force the opposition to track the runners and possibly break or stretch their defensive shape.
Carlo and the coaching team will have to coach solutions to break down low blocks as we’ll definitely be facing more next season.
Defend all the titles and break the Copa del Rey curse
At any other club, winning the league and UCL will be enough to right off the upcoming season and lower expectations. At Real Madrid, winning never ceases and expectations grow because of success. In the UCL final post match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti said, “Let’s think about the 15th UCL tomorrow” which signifies what Real Madrid is all about. Defending the UCL has only been done once by Zidane’s Real Madrid, but the ambition will be to defend both the UCL and the league.
Winning the Copa del Rey seems to be more difficult than winning the Champions League for Real. This year, the team will be looking to finally win the competition. Each season, it’s normally a foregone conclusion that we won’t win the competition, but it’ll be nice to break the curse and lift the trophy once again.
Conclusion
If we improve our aerial presence and find tactical solutions to break down low blocks, we can definitely be looking at 90+ points next season. It’s easier said than done so we’ll see how the team handles the challenge. Expectations are also high in terms of the Champions League and Copa del Rey and fans are excited to see the team play next season.
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