Real Madrid manager must work out how to create the optimal pattern around some of the world’s biggest talents in Bellingham, Mbappe and Vinicius Junior
Xabi Alonso watched from the sidelines on Sunday as Bellingham arrived late in the box to finish off a slick Real Madrid move, ultimately helping Los Blancos land their first win under their new manager. The player’s overall performance after a formation change forced by a red card would no doubt have had Alonso’s tactical mind humming and whirring.
In that role, as an advanced midfielder making late runs in the box, Bellingham thrived in his first season in the Spanish capital, scoring 23 goals in 42 games and making a case for himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. But last season with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, Bellingham was moved to a deeper role where he is no longer able to affect matches in the same way.
Then there is the case of Vinicius Junior, who played on the left before Mbappe’s arrival but often had a positional clash with the France forward, who also favours the left wing
With Alonso having taken over from Carlo Ancelotti with a reputation as a tactical genius, the big question is simple: can he make all three fit into a neat tactical pattern where they don’t rob each other of their greatest strengths?
Former Italy striker Christian Vieri doesn’t think it’ll be easy. Speaking to DAZN, Vieri said: “When Bellingham comes from deep and arrives, he is phenomenal. That is an amazing goal and that is where he plays best.
“It’s not our problem. It is Alonso’s problem and he is going to be having sleepless nights.”
With Real reduced to ten men just seven minutes into the match after Raul Asencio’s red card, Alonso shifted Bellingham into a more central role. It was from that position that the England midfielder ran forward from deep, latched onto a pass from Fran Garcia, and drilled a low shot into the far corner. It was the moment that flipped the entire match on its head and set on the path to a hard-won 3-1 victory.
“That is where Bellingham is best, when he arrives late from midfield,” said former Chelsea and Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel. “No one can stop Jude in that role because he has the power and energy. He can be very special when doing that.”
Alonso’s test at Madrid will be keeping his stars happy. He will have seen that performance and wondered how big of an advantage it is for his side to have a player like Bellingham, who can make those late runs and turn matches on their head. The England midfielder himself will certainly rewatch that game and think that he has a lot in his skillset to offer as a midfielder.
“You have to play the players in their best positions because big players want to play in their best positions,” said Mikel. “That is the problem Xabi Alonso is going to have.
“We know Mbappe wants to play out on the left but they have one of the best players there in Vinicius Junior. So where do you play him? He doesn’t like playing through the middle.”
“It is a massive problem for Xabi Alonso. If he can find a way to solve the problem then he may have a team. They need to play as a team, not as individuals.”
Alonso’s tactical nous impressed at Bayer Leverkusen but Real Madrid, with a squad full of stars who consider themselves among the world’s best in their respective positions, is a different beast. He’ll be facing his toughest test yet.
