Alvaro Morata and Mateo Kovacic Early Beneficiaries from Zidane's 4-4-2 Switch

Real Madrid's pre-season programme started in disappointing fashion in the International Champions Cup, losing 3-1 to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in what was the Spanish side's first match since they won the UEFA Champions League in May.

Naturally, the result won't be of too much concern given it was Real's first match and PSG were further along in their fitness work than Zinedine Zidane's side, but there were still points to take from the game from Real's point of view—both positive and negative.

A tactical switch gave a hint as to what lies ahead once competitive action begins, and the best early individual signs came from new striker Alvaro Morata and midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

Early movement

Having played 4-3-3 throughout Zidane's first half-season in charge, there was always going to be an element of expectation that the boss required an alternative system. He needs to cope with opposition who repel the three-man Real attack and also incorporate different members of his squad who thrived in different roles—particularly outside the first-choice front three.

As a result, it was no real surprise to see a changed formation on Wednesday as Real Madrid began the game with a 4-4-2, hinting at hours on the training pitch to ensure both good shape out of possession and movement between the lines on the ball.

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Such attention to positional play didn't immediately translate to aggression and concentration in defence, which was left wide open and penetrated to devastating effect in the opening 200 seconds—but Real did begin pressing high after the initial setback of conceding.

The amount of changes at half-time and the personnel involved thereafter—Castilla players and one or two who may be loaned out—means only the first 45 minutes held any real significance for Zidane's team.

Despite a 3-0 scoreline to PSG at the break, there was enough in a 25-minute spell between the French team's first and second goals to give the Real boss belief that he has picked a system that will work well.

Morata and Kovacic

The most obvious threat for Real in the first half was down the entire left side of the pitch: For the 4-4-2 system, the left was far better balanced with Marcelo a natural raiding presence from deep, Isco happy to drift infield to vacate that space and Morata running the channel with gusto. Add in Kovacic on that side of midfield as the instigator of moves from the centre, and it was clearly the better half of Real's team, both in a technical and tactical sense.

Morata was the most interesting of the side, as it is he who is naturally the player the 4-4-2 is designed for; where Karim Benzema would start centrally in the BBC attack of most La Liga game weeks, Morata's price tag and status as Spain's starting striker almost dictates that he'll play a hefty amount of fixtures.

The former Juventus man was a constant outlet and made an impressive number of trademark runs from the centre, diagonally outward, giving an out ball down the sides of defence.

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In turn, this allowed his midfield team-mates to quickly join up to the attack and put pressure high upfield. During the first half-hour of the game, there were several occasions where three or four Real men in succession—attackers and midfielders—were able to step out of their line and challenge in a row, forcing PSG across the field or backward.

Kovacic was central to this—not just in a positional sense—as he instigated the initial step forward to press, with others following. When Real were on the front foot, the Croatian's natural attacking instincts meant he was able to surge into the gaps between PSG's lines to attempt to link play.

Isco and Jese were rather below-par, which meant these attacks broke down quickly at times, but his work rate and willingness to look forward for the first pass was intelligent and kept Real playing at a good tempo for their better half-hour or so.

A first game using the system—and a defeat showing plenty to work on in the defensive third—but there was also much to be positive about in the attacking half of the pitch with regard to shape and understanding.

Super Cup

Of course, Real Madrid are still missing several players. The likes of Gareth Bale, Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo are all not involved after going deep into Euro 2016, while James Rodriguez had an extended break after his Copa America Centenario exploits.

A 45-minute run-out apiece was geared toward stepping up fitness and involving as many players as possible, but everything at present is undertaken with a view to being ready for the UEFA Super Cup. Nothing else.

The ICC might be prestigious in pre-season terms, but Zidane is mixing performances with experimentation right now and results may suffer as a result.

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With Ronaldo almost certainly out of the UEFA Super Cup through injury, Morata is a probable starter, and so the emphasis must be on finding solutions to getting him on the pitch and being effective, quite probably alongside Benzema.

Real's squad isn't built for a 3-5-2 or any variations thereof, so it must be 4-4-2. Ignore the scoreline and look closer at the movements and initial traits of those involved, and even a defeat can be seen as a step forward for Zidane's team.

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