Carlo Ancelotti’s Three-Point Plan For Man City Vs Real Madrid Second-Leg
After a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw with Manchester City, Real Madrid will shift their focus to the second leg next week, as they look to secure a ticket to the UEFA Champions League final.
Due to the result of the first leg, Real Madrid must ensure a victory against Man City at the Etihad if they are to go through. The Spanish giants admittedly were a bit unlucky as Kevin de Bruyne’s equaliser should not have stood, as the ball was out of play during the build-up.
Real Madrid, though, have buried the hatchet and are focused on the second leg. According to Radio MARCA (h/t Madrid Xtra), Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has come up with a three-point plan to beat Man City in the second leg next week.
The Italian manager plans to approach this game with a slight change in team selection. He wants to start Rodrygo on the bench, possibly retaining his services as more of an impact sub later on in the proceedings.
It must be noted that the Brazilian had played a spectacular cameo for Real Madrid against Man City in last season’s semifinal.
Another change in team selection could come in midfield, where Ancelotti plans to start with Eduardo Camavinga. The Frenchman has been a much-improved player since the turn of the year and could be deployed in the middle of the park, possibly alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Finally, Ancelotti plans to change the formation. He is thinking of deploying a 4-4-2, which would mean Federico Valverde might shift into the wide midfield slot, allowing Vinicius Junior to operate alongside Karim Benzema in the two-pronged Real Madrid attack.
The 4-4-2 formation should make Real Madrid much more sturdy during defensive formations. But at the same time, it could make them very sharp on the counter, especially with Vinicius Junior and Benzema making darting runs in behind the opposition backline.
However, given the quality of the opposition coach, it remains to be seen whether any of Ancelotti’s planned changes become useful for the away side next week.
