Mbappé's absence, Endrick's position and Bellingham vs. Gallagher: Madrid face derby check

And they also come full circle. Real Madrid have gone 39 league video games with out defeat, greater than a complete season’s value of video games. They haven’t been crushed within the league in virtually precisely a yr: not since Sept. 24, 2023. That was in opposition to Atlético Madrid. They haven’t been crushed in any aggressive sport since Jan. 18, 2024, 34 video games in the past — and, sure, that was in opposition to Atlético, too.

That evening Atlético knocked Madrid out of the Copa del Rey, 4-2 after further time. After they met within the league a fortnight later, the fruits of a capital metropolis trilogy of three video games in three competitions and three weeks, it completed 1-1. Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis, with two attracts, have been the one groups not crushed by Actual Madrid final season, however Atlético are the one workforce to have defeated Actual Madrid all season.

In the end, it won’t have mattered a lot — Madrid nonetheless received the league, the Champions League and the Tremendous Cup, defeating Atlético 5-3, and regardless of eliminating them Atlético did not go on to win the cup. Solely the derby at all times issues. With Barcelona already 4 factors forward of Madrid and 6 factors forward of Atlético particularly.

Forward of Sunday’s conflict between the 2 groups, listed here are the key questions dealing with Actual Madrid. (Stream LIVE: Sunday, 2:50 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Carlo Ancelotti, Diego Simeone and the dream

Actual Madrid supervisor Ancelotti is aware of what this sport is like. He has performed it extra instances than some other and confronted the person in black on the opposite bench extra instances than some other too, an admiration towards his adversary. Simeone was there the primary time he took cost of a Madrid derby, and he could be there the final time he does, too.

When Ancelotti left Actual Madrid the primary time, he had performed a Champions League remaining in opposition to Atlético and received it: a Sergio Ramos aim on 92:48 took their tenth European Cup after greater than a decade-long wait, possibly even the trophy that has most obsessed them of their complete historical past. And but that season Ancelotti had additionally seen his neighbours win a league title. The next season his workforce went to the Calderon and conceded 4. Nobody, his employees mentioned, was extra horrible to play.

So think about how he felt when he got here again six years and 5 Actual Madrid coaches later (Rafa Benítez, Zinedine Zidane, Julen Lopetegui, Santi Solari and Zidane once more) and Simeone was nonetheless there. Fairly happy, really. On the eve of the primary derby of his second spell, he mentioned that doing what Simeone had completed was a dream: “God prepared, I might be right here 14 years like he has been at Atlético,” he mentioned. He knew that wasn’t doable, however then he mentioned this wasn’t doable both: this week, Ancelotti reached his three hundredth sport accountable for Actual Madrid. “I am not saying it is a miracle, however virtually,” he mentioned.

How does Mbappé’s absence impression the formation?

Simply when it was beginning to go proper, too. There have been 10 minutes left on Actual Madrid’s 3-2 win in opposition to Alavés on Tuesday evening — though it was 3-0 on the time — when Kylian Mbappé appeared towards the bench and gestured for a change. A wag of the finger, slightly rotation and he was gone. As he headed off, applauded by the Bernabeu, Ancelotti requested what was improper and he pointed at his thigh.

“He had slightly little bit of a pressure and he requested to be taken off to keep away from issues,” Ancelotti mentioned. And that, everybody thought, was that. The next day, although, it was confirmed that Mbappé was injured. Not badly sufficient to overlook the Clásico in a month’s time — at the least they hope not — however badly sufficient to have to take a seat this one out. And Lille, and Villarreal, and France‘s subsequent get-together.

The timing is a pity. For all of the doubts and the controversy — and it genuinely was true that he was a tough match, Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo all liking to occupy related areas to the left of the assault — the Frenchman had began to come back good. Excellent.

It is also, by the best way, an indication of simply how decisive he’s that he was racking up the targets even when he did not appear to be taking part in that effectively. It’s true that there have been penalties in there — an obligation he shares with Vinícius — however he had scored in 5 consecutive video games and already had seven targets in 9 Actual Madrid video games, more and more effectively tailored to a extra central place, even when his most explosive moments nonetheless got here when he went out to the wing after which whizzed again in once more. He had additionally performed 783 of 810 minutes. Now, although, he has to cease.

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How will Actual Madrid line up with Mbappe injured?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens have a look at Actual Madrid’s choices with Kylian Mbappe out injured.

Whereas the entrance three have been beginning to discover their toes, at the least in the case of attacking, there has nonetheless been a way of imbalance within the Actual Madrid workforce to date this season. Not simply by way of this being a workforce that leant to the left. At instances, definitely to start with, it felt virtually like two blocks: the defenders and the deep midfielder, Aurélien Tchouaméni, at one finish and the forwards plus an attacking midfielder on the different. And within the center, Federico Valverde filling an enormous gap. Fortunate, then, that Valverde is the person with the large lungs and the admirably small ego, a participant you may depend on to be virtually all over the place and the whole lot.

That situation has been remedied slightly, notably with Jude Bellingham again from damage and evolving into extra of an all-round midfielder than the No. 10 with duty to reach within the opposition’s space, his bodily qualities permitting him to do a few of what Valverde does. There was a higher sense of Vinícius and particularly Rodrygo being conscious of their defensive duties, too. However a recurring theme stays Actual Madrid’s problem in pulling collectively these components of the pitch, narrowing areas, and constructing strikes. Whereas Ancelotti insisted you could’t construct and be direct on the similar time, and he prefers the latter — he later known as it rock-and-roll soccer, a line that everybody latched on to hungrily — however within the larger video games, some nonetheless anticipate Actual Madrid including a midfielder.

Towards a workforce like Atlético who fill that area and who within the opening derby of final season discovered all of it too straightforward to bypass Madrid’s midfield on both aspect, that may be an much more engaging proposition. That would imply Vinícius and Rodrygo up entrance, Bellingham and Valverde both aspect of Tchouameni and Modric. Another choice could be Valverde, Tchouaméni and Luka Modric in a 3 with Bellingham on the high of that diamond. And there is one thing else too: Eduardo Camavinga may, simply, be match finally.

Come up, Sir Bellingham? Come up, Sir Gallagher?

For the primary time ever, there’s an Englishman on both aspect of the Madrid derby with Bellingham representing the LaLiga champions and Conor Gallagher taking part in his first season for Los Colchoneros. The person who was the signing of final season in opposition to the person they’re already declaring the signing of this, scorer of two targets for Atlético to date. Who’s your cash on?

Is it Endrick’s time to shine?

If Ancelotti does determine to depart three males within the ahead line, the query is who? Arda Güler — whose worldwide coach says performs even higher on the appropriate of a entrance three — would supply an possibility of a participant inclined slightly extra to the midfield and to combos. After which there’s Endrick, the Brazilian teenager who the coach says must be affected person, however who would not appear to be within the temper for ready; he definitely is not about to waste time.

“He is obtained balls,” Ancelotti said last week. “He confirmed braveness — twice.” Aged 18, Endrick obtained married after which two days later got here on and scored for Actual Madrid on his Champions League in opposition to VfB Stuttgart. He in all probability should not have shot in any respect. “We would have killed him if it hadn’t gone in,” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois mentioned — however he is one thing, that is for certain. In 47 minutes he has two targets and an help.

Endrick within the Champions League 🇧🇷💫#UCL pic.twitter.com/APBqFBtsS2

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 18, 2024

Carvajal is competitiveness embodied

The little city of Boadilla del Monte, 9 miles or so west of Madrid, has a Spanish Nationwide Staff Avenue, an Iker Casillas Road and a Vicente del Bosque Highway. So why not add one other one, says the mayor Javier Úbeda? There’s, Úbeda reckons, an apparent candidate: Dani Carvajal is just not the one footballer who lives there — a handful of Actual Madrid teammates do and so too do a number of the Atlético Madrid gamers he’ll come up in opposition to on Sunday, which might be helpful if he wants a carry house after the sport — however he’s the one one who’s a candidate to win the Ballon d’Or.

“He deserves the Ballon d’Or greater than anybody,” mentioned Joselu, however then he would say that: he is Carvajal’s brother-in-law and his neighbour.

Carvajal’s case is a powerful one, although. A European champion for membership and nation, he scored the opening aim within the Champions League remaining for Actual Madrid in opposition to Dortmund, taking him to 6 — six! — European Cups, as many as anybody else ever. His dad, a policeman approaching retirement, was a part of the drive flanking the workforce, sat atop a white horse because the they celebrated on the fountain of Cibeles within the centre of the town. It was additionally his dinked penalty that took Spain to the UEFA Nations League title slightly over yr in the past. This summer season was Carvajal’s first European Championship, regardless of being 32, as a result of damage dominated him out of the earlier two. Spain had three leaders: Rodri, a footballing, tactical chief. Álvaro Morata, an emotional chief. And Carvajal, competitiveness embodied.

Born in Leganes, the child who laid the primary stone on the membership’s Valdebebas coaching floor, the one Madrileno within the Actual Madrid workforce, more likely to be certainly one of solely two on the pitch with Koke — though Rodrigo Riquelme and Pablo Barrios have been additionally born within the capital — and the one participant, with Koke, left who performed in each Champions League finals between the groups, he is aware of what the derby means higher than anybody. What it wants, too. And sure, that typically is a contact of nastiness. Give it some thought and he may also be essentially the most Simeone of the Madrid gamers.