Carlo Ancelotti is about to enter his final season as manager of Real Madrid in the second stage, which has brought him so much joy. In just two seasons, he won every possible title and faced a major test in this new campaign. Changes in this transfer market and the imminent departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric point to a possible change in the scheme at Real Madrid, something Ancelotti was not used to doing but was open to trying.
What options are considered by the Real Madrid coach?
Ancelotti showed himself to be true 4-3-3 what is common to see in modern football, with Fede Valverde or Rodrigo taking the far right to accompany Vinicius and Benzema, but who could be replaced 4-4-2.
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What will be 4-4-2?
Ancelotti has one of the best-equipped midfield teams in the world, which is why this change is proposed. The main puzzle of these eleven is how to position Chuameni and Camavinga if they both play at the same time, because the 4 in the center of the field will be placed in a diamond. With the arrival of Joselu and the departure of Karim, the scheme of a midfielder who can pass balls to a more classic center forward than the Frenchman makes sense. The playmaker position could go to Guler, Brahim, Bellingham or even Rodrigo himself.
What will be 4-3-3?
Ancelotti has always been loyal to those who gave him so much joy during his time in Madrid, and the 4-3-3 formation is one that he finds hard to break away from. In a brief interview before Real Madrid’s first training session in California, the Italian assured that if the changes don’t quite fit the squad, they can always go back to a 4-3-3 formation, making it the second real option out of eleven. Little would change here, with doubts about which three midfielders to put in and who between Fede Valverde or Rodrigo (in principle) would take the far right.
In addition to these two formations, Ancelotti has already shown at the end of last season a possible change of formation that he could use this year. Camavinga’s high level last season and the arrival of Chuameni as Casemiro’s replacement in the same campaign raises the dilemma of who should play, but Ancelotti hasn’t given up on the double pivot position. In this case, both Kroos and Modric will play far fewer minutes than they have played in recent years, so it seems difficult but not impossible to see a 4-2-3-1 at Real Madrid in 2023/24.
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