Real Madrid ready for Anfiel-D-Day

Pulling despite the injury problems Los Blancos to Premier League leaders Liverpool with several reasons to be positive.

Seeing is believing. Just when Madrid were under the most pressure due to the conditions, they reached their best level of the season. It's too early to pop the champagne, but enough to consider the trauma of the 0-4 Clásico defeat to Barcelona a thing of the past. The side have won their last two league matches with authority, beating Osasuna and Leganés, scoring seven goals and conceding none. They have also collected a large number of positive points that will be crucial for what lies ahead. Because next Wednesday, November 27, Madrid will face the first 'final' of the season.

It's early, but circumstances dictate: Madrid have only managed six points out of a possible 12 in the Champions League. They are currently 18th out of 32, and the goal of qualifying directly for the round of 16 – by finishing between first and eighth after eight games – feels far away. That is achievable, but to get there they need to win their first European away match in the competition, against Liverpool at Anfield. A win against the Reds would bring that goal closer while cementing Madrid's clear improvement.

The opponent is formidable: the only team in the Champions League with a perfect record so far and a notable leader in the Premier League, eight points ahead of Manchester City. Fortunately for Madrid, everything seems to be going their way as they prepare to face Salah, Díaz, Gakpo and co.

Real Madrid's defensive solidity returns

When it comes to defense, Madrid could be said to have been unlucky. Although to some extent they had themselves to blame by starting the season with only two healthy and available centre-backs (not counting Vallejo). In addition, two cruciate ligament injuries in the backline – Carvajal and Militao – have left Madrid's defense in shambles.

Currently, Ancelotti has no right-back and only has Rudiger as a central defender, forcing him to rely on Asencio from Castile. The academy player has benefited from the team's two smoothest performances in possession this season, which has made his job easier. That said, he has more than overcome the challenges he has faced.

Madrid have now gone two games without conceding a goal, something they have achieved only once this season, against Betis and Real Sociedad in mid-September. But that was a different story, largely due to chance: at Anoeta they survived three shots that hit the woodwork. This time, however, the improvement is much more structural than indirect. Ancelotti emphasized this in Butarque: “The positive signals from Osasuna have been confirmed. We are more compact and focused.”

Madrid welcomes Courtois' return

Much of this defensive solidity can be attributed to Courtois, who returned against Leganés after his second muscle injury of the season – a recurring problem for a player who suffered a cruciate ligament and meniscus tear last year. He is now paying for that prolonged inactivity in small, inconvenient installments.

The team's defensive improvement is undeniable: they did not concede a single shot on target, neither against Osasuna nor Leganés. But in addition, the presence of the Belgian adds another, not unimportant, layer of intimidation for opponents. Liverpool know this all too well: in the 2022 Champions League final in Paris, he was Madrid's MVP on their way to their fourteenth title. He made nine saves against the Reds, some of which were truly spectacular.

The Belgian's absence made way for Lunin, who, despite the recent extension of his contract, has not shown the same reliability as last season when he replaced Kepa. He played five matches, of which Madrid lost three and conceded eight goals, including the four against Barça in the Clásico. Now that Courtois is back between the posts, Madrid's prospects are changing, as is the mood among the Anfield crowd – undoubtedly for the better.

The Vini-Mbappé connection

Against Leganés, Ancelotti finally made the tactical change so many had been calling for: Mbappé on the left and Vinicius up front. Not because it is guaranteed to work better, but at least to try something different. As the saying goes, change something to change everything. Although there were no major breakthroughs, there was a clear sense that Mbappe is more involved on the left, while Vinicius seems better suited as a centre-forward, as he shows more tools for the role.

The Brazilian's form was never in question before Butarque and has remained solid since. He recently scored two hat-tricks, against Dortmund and Osasuna, and provided an assist for the Frenchman in Leganés to break his scoring drought. Mbappe had gone four games without scoring and had scored just one goal in his previous seven appearances. The position, Kylian emphasizes, is not a problem: “It's the story of my career: playing on the right, through the middle, on the left… I just want to play and score a lot of goals.”

Heading to Anfield, both players arrive with the boost of another successful connection and the certainty that Liverpool will provide spaces to exploit – whether it's someone sprinting down the left or charging through the centre.

Bellingham is finding its feet again

Jude Bellingham's performances this season left a lot to be desired. There is an element of truth and a touch of fantasy in that assessment. The first is clear: the Englishman was not at his sharpest and struggled with finishing and midfield duties, and Madrid felt his absence. However, the latter is not up to him: his 23 goals last season created expectations that would be impossible to maintain indefinitely, creating an equation that no player in his position could realistically maintain.

In that case, it seemed strange that Bellingham had not scored a single goal in its first twelve games of the season. That changed against Osasuna, where he was eventually rewarded with his first goal of the campaign. He then headed into the international break and starred in England's two games that secured their promotion to the top tier of the Nations League.

On his return he found the net again and scored a poacher's goal from a rebound – exactly the goal he scored in abundance last season. Bellingham has finally rediscovered itself, and that's no small thing. Without Kroos' control in midfield, Madrid needs his dynamism more than ever to break through difficult situations.

Madrid's number 5 and a full-back

Without Tchouaméni, who is unlikely to make it to Liverpool – and even if he does, it would not be in top condition – and without Lucas Vázquez, another player with slim chances of being available at Anfield, Ancelotti has had to improvise, with results that turned out much better than expected.

This is not entirely new in midfield: Camavinga already played as '5' in the Champions League final against Dortmund last season and showed that, despite the fact that his instincts were more focused on carrying the ball than passing it on , can handle this role. His performance in Leganés was another example.

And in his defense, a refined déjà vu: Valverde already played as a full-back at Anfield, during the 2020-21 season with Zidane in the dugout, in the second leg of a quarter-final behind closed doors (during the height of the corona crisis). -19). That day, the Uruguayan provided a masterclass in defensive solidity against Liverpool who had to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg in Valdebebas. He resumed that role in Leganés and will do so again in England on Wednesday.

His performances in Butarque showed that he is not only an excellent defensive full-back, but can also contribute offensively. He even scored the 0-2 from a free kick – an area in which he is beginning to excel – and regularly entered the opponent's penalty area, even providing an unconverted assist to Brahim who could have made it 0-4 . Ancelotti already knows he can rely on him at Anfield, and Valverde appears to be a regular in the starting line-up.

Madrid's options on the bench

As a bonus, there are players waiting in the wings showing they can contribute more. Take Brahim, for example, who scored five goals during the international break with Morocco. His absence from the starting line-up against Leganés was surprising, although it is widely seen as a sign that he will start in the 4-3-3 formation against Liverpool. The short time he spent on the field in Butarque was promising; he played a role in the 0-3 and was close to an own goal.

However, there is a challenge: Arda Güler. The Turkish midfielder started against Leganés and delivered an impressive performance, showing flashes of exceptional quality and a sharp attacking prowess. Only commendable saves from Dmitrovic denied him a goal.

Despite this being only his fourth start of the season, Güler made a compelling case for more opportunities. Both he and Brahim are vying for a place in the starting XI against Liverpool, with the latter currently holding a slight lead.