Spanish media raise doubts about Real Madrid’s tactical foundations ahead of their Champions League rematch with Arsenal at the Bernabéu.
Carlo Ancelotti is running out of time. With Real Madrid trailing 3–0 heading into the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal, criticism in the Spanish press has moved beyond the question of motivation. Now, it’s about tactics.
And, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Italian has not shown any signs of resolving key structural issues facing his team, which is good news for the Gunners!
In a piece published on Saturday under the headline Tarea pendiente (“Unfinished business”), Mario Calderón lays out the concerns in direct terms. “More than in the emotional, what Ancelotti must focus on to achieve the comeback is the tactical side,” he writes. “The team has weaknesses in both defence and attack, and that is something Arsenal will not forgive.”
The criticism begins at the back.
Thibaut Courtois remains solid in goal, but the instability in front of him has undermined their defence. The prolonged absences of Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão have forced repeated changes in shape, and the back four of Rüdiger, Asencio, Valverde, and Fran García struggled badly at the Emirates.
The article highlights “covering, ball progression, aerial duels, and set-piece positioning” as areas that have still not been sorted out. Calderón points to a damning stat: “nine goals conceded in the last three matches.”
Midfield, usually the foundation of a Real Madrid side, has also performed poorly. He writes that the injury to Dani Ceballos has deprived the team of structure, and with Luka Modrić stretched and Aurélien Tchouaméni only just returning, the lack of rhythm and control has become glaring. “The engine room of the team has shown a worrying lack of ideas,” the piece notes, “only resolved by moments of quality from the forwards.”
Yet even in attack, Real Madrid’s edge has dulled. Vinícius Júnior, once the side’s most reliable attacker, “has been eclipsed by Mbappé but also by himself, far from his best version.” Rodrygo, whose automatic place in the starting 11 is now rarely questioned, “has stopped contributing.”
“The last of the problems, and possibly the most important,” writes Calderón, “is the lack of connection between the attacking players.” This issue also prompted another piece in the French press asking if Kylian Mbappe‘s arrival ‘destabilised’ Madrid rather than improving them.
What emerges from these articles is not just a preview of a difficult second leg, but an editorial warning. Ancelotti is under pressure not only to repair what’s broken in time for Arsenal, but to make a case for his longer-term future at Real Madrid. It has already been reported that he is ‘on the ropes’ after the defeat in London.
As Calderón puts it, “Ancelotti must work against the clock to fix it all.”