Chapter 387 I will be anxious if I can’t score at the Bernabeu!

No matter how good the team is, one day it will be eliminated. Being eliminated does not necessarily mean failure, sometimes it is an opportunity to quickly reshuffle the team.

It is really difficult to say whether Zidane will stay in office, especially when Fatty Bei was there, he wanted to change but was defeated by a coup. If it is launched again, it is really unknown whether a master of metaphysics like Zidane will be able to turn the tide.

Real Madrid has been winless in three home games, but has won two away games in the league. The difference in offensive efficiency between home and away games is nearly five times. Why is there such a huge difference?

In addition to the injury affecting BBC's status, Real Madrid let go of J. Romorata this summer and also lost the two most stable scoring points outside the trident. At the same time, the midfield lacks X factors such as Paulinho, resulting in repeated setbacks in home games.

The strongest formation? The difference in firepower between Real Madrid's home and away games is 5 times. In the first 5 rounds of La Liga, Real Madrid's image contrasts greatly. They have won two away games. In the last round, they also defeated Real Sociedad in the Anoeta Devil away game, which had won the first 3 rounds and kept pace with Barcelona. They defeated Real Sociedad in the first round. It was also Deportivo La Coruna who won Barcelona at home last season.

What about the home court?

They were robbed of points by Valencia, Levante and Betis. The latter two teams are La Liga's perennial cash machines.

The problem of forward weakness is by no means new to this campaign. The three home goals scored were 2 goals, 1 goal and 0 goals in sequence, showing signs of regression.

The Los Blancos team scored 9 goals in 5 rounds, which is equivalent to Messi's output alone, and only 1 goal more than Juventus' first brother Dybala (8 goals in 5 rounds).

Compared with half of Barcelona's main rotation in this round, Zidane, who was already 7 points behind the leader before the game, did not dare to be careless. He set up his strongest lineup to face the 15th place in La Liga last season. However, he still did not solve the problem of few goals. The difference in mentality changes in the away game directly caused the contrast in the situation. Having failed to win in the first two home games, Real Madrid hoped to devour their opponents. They took 14 shots in the first half and 13 in the second half. Their strategy was to attack.

However, Betis was a tough guy and could not open up the situation for a long time. Real Madrid played more and more anxiously, and when good opportunities came, they missed them one by one due to anxiety. Zidane reflected, "We were too anxious," and Isco also said, " If I don't score a goal at the Bernabeu, I will become anxious."

Similar situations happened many times at Real Madrid's home court last season, such as the 1-1 draws with Villarreal and Eibar, and the draw with Las Palmas in the second half. In both cases, they dominated the offensive situation but were unable to attack for a long time and were bitten by their opponents.

It is easier to maintain a correct attitude and clear mind when playing away games. Anyone who plays at home will have ideas. In the early stage when the opponent is full of physical strength, he will have to use three axes. Zidane's team uses the advantage of possession of the ball to wear down the opponent's physical strength and fighting spirit. In the second half, Asensio Lucas is added. Wait for the Qi soldiers to increase the rhythm and solve the battle in depth.

Counterattacks are mostly based on less versus less situations, which can better utilize the personal abilities of wealthy players (Barcelona's last four goals yesterday were all counterattacks), and are much more efficient than positional battles. It is not difficult to understand that Real Madrid scored 47 points in the away game last season. , it is still 1 point more than the home score, and why in the past two away games, Real Madrid scored 6 goals from 25 shots, with an average of 4.2 and 1 goal, and in 3 home games, it only scored 3 goals with 57 shots, with an average of 19 and 1 goal. The efficiency is almost the same. 5 times.

Cristiano Ronaldo is hard to explain as Real Madrid's forwards are weak. How can we not miss J. Romorata? Although Cristiano Ronaldo has returned, he has stopped 4 games in a row since the second round of the Western Super Cup and only played 1 game in between. The difficulty is limited (against the weak APOEL group) In the Champions League group stage, it still takes time to find the rhythm and form, otherwise it will not be a single opportunity, and the volleys near the penalty area line will always hit the sky.

In fact, the Portuguese's sprint speed and explosive power will inevitably decrease after the age of 30, and the total number of goals scored in the past three seasons has decreased year by year.

61 goals, 51 goals, and 42 goals last season. Whether Real Madrid's season is successful or not, what is actually important is the second, third and fourth firepower points. , Benzema went into the factory for overhaul, Bale has been questioned for a long time, and James Ronaldo, the midfielder with the most goals in La Liga in the past three years, and Morata, the team's second-leading scorer last season, were both sent away this summer, lacking a final word. Role.

Having a first-class sense of grabbing points in the penalty area is Morata's greatest advantage. Otherwise, how could he have scored so many header goals and assists in the Premier League with his thin body?

Although Benzema squandered a lot of good opportunities, including 4 against Wallen alone, he has height and physique after all, and his ability to grab points in the penalty area is obviously better than that of his teammates who are wingers. However, he is recovering from injuries.

Although Mayoral performed well in the away game against Real Madrid, he lacked experience after all, and the home team's opponents would not give him so many one-on-one opportunities.

Long-range shots are an effective way to break through the iron barrel formation, but Real Madrid fired many long-range shots in this campaign. Not to mention breaking through the fingers of old general Adan, they rarely even shot on target. Only 7 of the 27 shots in the game were made. just.

I wonder if Qi Zu thought of Ronaldo, the midfielder with the strongest long-range shooting ability in the team in the past?

Kross, Modric and Casemiro are only considered cold shots, and Isco has not made many long-range shooting achievements. The one with the greatest potential to succeed Ronaldo as the long-range shooting king is Asensio, but he only played more than 20 minutes and frequently led the way. Ball turnover.

The three-forward formation is even more difficult to break. Mourinho used it to win the Champions League. Betis coach Quique Setien led Las Palmas to two draws with Real Madrid last season. Zidane is well aware of this grassroots insistence on passing and controlling play. The coach is very difficult to deal with, so the starting lineup is 442 (or 4312, with Isco occupying the 10th position), using the four strongest midfielders to ensure the ball control advantage and defend home control.

However, although Real Madrid had 60% of the ball in the game, penetration in the middle frequently hit the wall. Zidane's ball control strategy was ineffective. Instead, Setien asked Betis's frontcourt players to resolutely counterattack and frequently harassed Marcelo and Cava. Hal (the latter lost the ball due to the interception of the sideline ball) made it difficult for the two to assist significantly, and the full-back's cross was the most needed assistance when the diamond midfielder was set up.

Zidane could only switch to the wing. In the second half, he replaced Asensio and Lucas Vazquez, and added Mayoral, the only genuine center in the team, hoping to open up space on the wing to provide high-quality crosses. , taking advantage of the three forwards’ aerial combat advantage in the penalty area.

However, Betis's three defensive midfielders were able to retreat in time to protect the penalty area. At the same time, the two wingers Francis and Tello also recovered to assist the fullbacks, maintaining an equal balance of numbers on the wings. Zizou's change of formation only increased the number of crosses, and all the home team's crosses were made. As many as 46 times, but failed to become the key to turning the situation around.

In the past, Guardiola often arranged for Pique to serve as the center at the end of the game, but Ramos was unable to copy his style of play because the number of people in the backcourt was limited, and the opponent could always maintain the ability to counterattack quickly, leaving Real Madrid's defense with a thorn in its back.

It is inevitable that Real Madrid will feel uncomfortable when they play against Setien's team. Setien always requires players to keep the ball in their feet and insist on short passes after intercepting the ball in the backcourt to avoid easily handing over the ball with long passes. Therefore, although Real Madrid attacks many times, it is difficult to complete more than two consecutive shots in one offensive, and continuous pressure can often destroy the opponent's defense structure.

433 is also Setién's registered trademark formation. He always arranges three full-time attackers to advance forward, but at the same time requires them to have a spirit of sacrifice. Whether they are counterattacking in the frontcourt or retreating to help defend, they are ready to attack once the ball is intercepted and counterattacked. With enough personnel and troops invested, the overall situation may be overturned at any time. It is an ideal defensive method to maintain offensive firepower and counterattack flexibility when being passively beaten.

Mourinho is also a master of using a three-forward formation. In 2010, he led Inter Milan to eliminate the Barcelona Dream Team in the semi-finals, and defeated Bayern in the final to win the Champions League. In both the first game of the semi-finals and the final, the Magic Birds deployed Eto'o and Pandev as the wings. Supporting Diego Milito's formation and using three forwards to maintain an offensive and defensive balance, Eto'o's cheetah-turned-"mad dog" style of play has become a classic in the memories of Inter Milan's Triple Crown.

Setien is more interested in short-pass penetration rather than direct passes into the frontcourt, but the idea of ​​​​arranging the three forwards is similar. Inter Milan and Betis wingers can actively defend, which is something that Real Madrid BBC and Barcelona MSN cannot do. of.

Qi Zu changes into a three-guard attack?

After the opponent deployed four major attackers to counterattack Marcelo after he was injured, Zizou replaced him with Lucas Vazquez instead of the full-time defender Nacho. This was the signal for Zizou to launch a general attack. Carvajal and Lu Cass's two pure wide players joined the frontcourt. Casemiro retreated and formed a back three with two central defenders. The soldiers' pressure really created a murderous opportunity. First, Carvajal shot from behind but missed the center post, and then Lucas made a pass. Bale almost scored with a wonderful shot from his heel.

But Real Madrid's change of formation also allowed Setien to find the opportunity to steal 3 points at the Bernabeu, because after Marcelo left the field, Real Madrid no longer had a full-time left back, and it was difficult to effectively cover the huge area of ​​​​the backcourt by Kroos alone.

When the team was in turmoil in front of the goal, they broke up the three defensive midfielders and replaced them with wingers to play 4231, while hoarding 4 attackers. Coaches of mid-to-lower teams rarely have this courage, but Setien is willing to take risks.

Betis does not take big shots because it has the ability to break through Real Madrid's midfield blockade through short passes. The higher the home team's line, the greater the chance of winning for both sides.

Setien sent Joaquin to remove midfielder Favian, and retained the three wingers Joaquin, Budbus and Tello in the frontcourt to support center Sanavria, who just missed seven inches of Real Madrid's three-back system.

In the stoppage time, the visiting team launched a fatal offensive on both sides. As a result, Sanabria sent the ball into the goal twice. The first time was offside and the second time was converted into a winning goal. Isco lamented: "It was too late to win at the last moment." All in all, the defense was completely exposed.”

What Real Madrid lacks most is violent birds?

There are too many first-class civil servants under Zidane, such as Kroos, Modric, Isco and other generals. On the bench, there are also Asensio and European Youth Championship Golden Ball winner Ceballos. They are all against all sides. With strong capital, Cristiano Ronaldo and Asensio have speed when counterattacking. When it is necessary to control the ball and control the rhythm, there are many skilled masters to control the ball. Therefore, the second round of the Western Super Cup can end the 9 consecutive years of rivalry with Barcelona, ​​which has failed to match the ball possession rate in 31 games. The opponent's strange circle.

But the disadvantage of too many civilian officials is the lack of penalty area blasters. When the forward line lacks lethality, it is in need of support from the midfield and backcourt. Running without the ball to respond and attacking from the back is often more difficult for the opponent than ambushing a killer in the penalty area.

Real Madrid also has tools to attack tough problems, such as Casemiro, who scored 7 goals in 2017. He relied on him to open up the game against Manchester United and Juventus. In the past two games, Ramos either scored directly with an overhead kick (Champions League), or failed to do so for Real Madrid. Yolar created a sure-goal opportunity (against Real Sociedad).

However, Betis used a 3-forward formation in this campaign, and the slow Casemiro was basically contained in the backcourt. Ramos did not dare to cross the line easily when the ball was not set.

The loose law enforcement style of referee Raos also facilitates Betis players' frequent strong physical contact, which suppresses the technical advantages of Real Madrid's midfielders. Once the pass and cut in the middle cannot penetrate, it is difficult to share the worries of the two forwards.

The trouble for the defending champion is that there are too many talents in the midfield, and what is missing is Paulinho, an outlier with completely different characteristics. Barcelona can lead Real Madrid by 7 points, and the violent Tori is the most important. The away game against Getafe is where he is unreasonable. The ball burst forward, forcing the defender to fight a way out. In the adversity of Barcelona's away game against the newly promoted team (the turf was too dry, causing the Barcelona officials to perform abnormally), the draw turned into a victory at the last moment.

The Brazilian has become the X factor that makes it difficult for opponents to rely on common sense. Opponents never imagined that Barcelona players would also use such pure impact play like Drogba Lukaku.

Barcelona defeated Eibar at home. Barcelona was also slow in the first half. Apart from the controversial penalty kick, only Messi's free kick was slightly threatening. As a result, before half-time, Paulinho was overwhelming and smashed the corner kick into the net with his powerful hammer, changing the score to 2-0, the stalemate turned into a bloodbath (Eibar had to press, and the defense hole opened).

Casemiro and Ramos need to put defense first and attack as a side job. Otherwise, Valverde did not arrange for him to play as a defensive midfielder (when Busquets came off the field, Rakitic was also a deep midfielder) and could break in at any time. Grabbing points in the penalty area, using the advantages of bounce and header to kill opponents, and becoming Barcelona's new conventional weapon in positional battles. "Explosive attacking midfielders" with similar characteristics include Nainggolan of Roma, Boateng of Milan in the past, and even others. Chelsea's Matic and others this season, what Real Madrid lacks is exactly the second-line breakthrough to break the balance in this kind of deadlock.

Seven points behind, winless at home, and criticism poured in. Some people say that Morata and Ronaldo should not be let go. Indeed, the depth of the bench will be greatly reduced after they leave, but how much instability will their presence bring to Real Madrid's locker room?

How many people can be like Guti who would rather play a minute at Real Madrid than play a full game with another team?

If Zidane hadn't been able to suppress him, the locker room would have been turned upside down last season. However, the tough melon is not sweet, and it is not a problem to keep suppressing it like this. It is better to let it out and train the newcomers at the same time; some people say that Zidane made many mistakes in on-the-spot command, which is correct. Zidane has always been dissatisfied. Specialized in tactics and on-the-spot command.

Zidane's advantage is that he can stabilize the locker room. In other words, he can afford to make mistakes. This is more important than right or wrong itself.

The situation on the field is changing rapidly, and there are no absolutely correct tactics and on-the-spot substitutions. The key is not to let the players lose confidence in the head coach's tactics and become independent of each other according to their own understanding.

Is tactics important for a team like Real Madrid? Players' super personal abilities can adapt to most tactics, as long as they are not outrageous. The tacit cooperation between players is the best tactic.

As for substitutions on the spot, although there are some tactical considerations, most of the time it is just a scratch-off. If you are poor, you will want to change. Try another person and another method. If you bet correctly, you will be right.

As for who should be replaced or not, in addition to tactical considerations, emotional and psychological factors should also be considered.

To put it bluntly, there are only a few substitution routines, and the pros and cons can only be thought of.

Real Madrid's current poor performance is caused by various reasons, including injuries, luck, the mentality of being immersed in last season's results, etc.

But it’s good to see Real Madrid’s lineup and development situation.

A momentary failure may serve as a wake-up call.

The season has just begun, and it is better to make mistakes now than to fall behind at critical moments.

If mistakes are unavoidable, it's better to make them sooner.

In the fifth round of La Liga, Real Madrid lost 0-1 at home to Betis. Sanabria scored a header in the 94th minute. This was Ronaldo's first game back after being suspended for 5 games. Real Madrid lost unexpectedly. ball.

Real Madrid is in a bad situation recently, Benzema is injured, Cristiano Ronaldo has just returned from the ban, and the forward condition is average. Real Madrid will start the lineup: Navas; Carvajal 9, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Kroos, Mo Delic, Casemiro, Isco; Bale, Ronaldo.

This is a game that is intertwined with many incredible things and has endless aftertaste. Before this game, Real Madrid had scored in 73 consecutive games, tying the world record. Looking back, this record can be traced back to the Santos Club 56 years ago. They completed the feat of scoring goals in 73 consecutive games from 1961 to 1963. The main forward at that time was the ball king Pele.

56 years later, another champion led his club to attack this record. Cristiano Ronaldo had been suspended for 5 games for pushing the referee. Cristiano Ronaldo came back just in time to make history. Everything seemed to be destined.

Real Madrid plays at home and faces Real Betis°. Betis ranked 15th in La Liga last season, losing 19 games in 38 league rounds. This season has started well, with 2 wins and 1 loss, ranking at the top of the La Liga standings. However, the gap in the strength of the players between the two sides is there, and Real Madrid has a huge advantage. .

Moreover, Real Betis has rotated three absolute main players. Leon°, Joaquin, and Guardado can be said to be the absolute core of Betis's lineup. The main attacker is absent. This way Betis is like starting without a fight. Cowardly, it seems that no one can stop Real Madrid from setting a world record.

As soon as the game started, Real Madrid launched a crazy offensive. Real Madrid had the upper hand in terms of momentum at home and launched the offensive very excitedly. Wave after wave hit Betis's door. Betis's response was very simple. Completely abandoning the midfield, the team shrinks to defend in the penalty area. When Real Madrid attacks the penalty area, Betis has at least 7 people forming two lines of defense.

Faced with such an iron-barrel formation, Real Madrid's fast counterattacks were of no use. The opponent did not press at all, and the midfield was completely handed over to Real Madrid. Real Madrid could only attack again and again, and the formation greatly pressed forward.

As can be seen from the game hot zone map, Real Madrid formed a siege in front of Betis's penalty area most of the time, just pressing Betis and then playing.

In the whole game, Real Madrid shot 27 times and the opponent only had 12. Real Madrid created a total of 23 opportunities. Real Madrid only made 2 clearances. Betis made 38 clearances. What kind of game was this? The tenacity of the defense and the offense. The magnificence appears impressively.