“If it was difficult tonight, imagine how it will be next Wednesday,” said Carlo Ancelotti after the 2-1 victory of Real Madrid over Atletico Madrid in the first stage of their Champions League round of 16 draw. Los Blancos will benefit the Metropolitano for the second derby in eight days, but there are still doubts about their strategy.
Their task will be considerably relaxed by the return of Jude Bellingham, who missed the first stage by suspension. The English star will undoubtedly be back in the line-up, and probably at the expense of Brahim Diaz, despite his husband of the match performance against Atletico in the Santiago Bernabeu.
According to Relo, Ancelotti is struggling with one big doubt about his line-up for the second stage: Eduardo Camavinga. For the third time this season, Camavinga started next to Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield and the Frenchman looked from his depth. First replacing in the 62nd minute for Luka Modric, Real Madrid exerted much more control after the introduction of the Croatian.
Ancelotti weighs whether that change should come at the start of the game next Wednesday, although he is being tipped to mention the same line-up, except for Bellingham's return. The club acknowledges that Camavinga has not improved as much as hoped in his four years at the club, and that his best versions have come left.
His quality and physical capacity are without a doubt, but at Valdebebas the word is that his losses of concentration and decision -making still leave something to be desired. By using Modric from the start, a calmer head in the center of operations for Ancelotti would be possible, but if he and Tchouameni are flooded, the introduction of Camavinga will no longer give them control. The Frenchman is perhaps the better option if Real Madrid is without the ball, but Modric also shifts the balance of possession.
Comments