Reasons Why Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid Are the Real Deal
As Real Madrid prepare for the short trip to city rivals Atletico on Sunday, Carlo Ancelotti can take pride in the fact his side are currently atop of the La Liga pile following a near faultless start to 2014.
Having suffered some minor setbacks during Ancelotti's opening weeks at the Bernabeu helm, los Blancos have responded superbly and now boast a three-point lead over both Atletico and fierce Clasico rivals Barcelona after 25 matches.
With Real additionally looking ahead to a Copa del Rey final, as well as an almost certain place in the Champions League quarter-final—following Wednesday night's emphatic 6-1 demolition of Schalke 04 in Germany—Ancelotti's side could be set for a historic end to the season.
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Whilst talk of a treble is still restricted to whispers, Real certainly have the talent to succeed on all three fronts. Here's a look at some of the reasons why.
Rampant Ronaldo
When you boast the world's greatest player, you've always got a chance of succeeding. The Real Madrid star has definitely been that over the last year or so.
After the record-breaking 2013, which saw the former Manchester United man finally end Lionel Messi's dominance of the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo has endured a slightly slower start to 2014 thanks to a minor injury and a three-match suspension.
Compared to most, though, his record this calendar year is still sensational and was further enhanced thanks to two goals against Schalke that enabled him to leapfrog PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to the top of the Champions League scoring chart with 11 strikes in that competition alone.
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
| 35 apps 33 goals | 54 apps 53 goals | 55 apps 60 goals | 55 apps 55 goals | 33 apps 36 goals |
The No. 7's attacking game is perfect in almost every sense. Ronaldo has it all: speed, power, skill, arial presence and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to score at a rate of more than a goal a game. His Real Madrid record of 237 goals in 232 is a goal ratio that will not be matched in the modern era and highlights what a talent he really is.
Ronaldo pretty much single-handedly led Portugal to this summer's World Cup in Brazil, despite being supported by a distinctly average team. If he could achieve that with his country, then there's no limit to what success he could enjoy with his club.
Bale Madrid
If having the world's best talent wasn't already enough, Real Madrid splashed the cash to bring the English Premier League's top player to Spain last summer and are now finally seeing some fantastic returns on their investment.
In 24-year-old Gareth Bale, los Blancos have acquired a superb athlete with immense skill and a wonderful eye for goal. However, the Wales international was signed at a time when he was struggling for fitness, and certain sections of an impatient Spanish media were beginning to cast their doubts over the 2012/13 PFA Player of the Year.
A price tag of €91 million not only incurs the label of "world's most expensive footballer" but also carries a lot of expectation. Despite boasting nine goals and 11 assists in 16 La Liga appearances, last week saw former Real coach Jorge Valdano tell Spanish newspaper AS that Bale is being "saved by his teammates" per Liam Prenderville in the Mirror.
The 58-year-old was just one of those to voice concerns about the world-record signing.
Seven days later and those doubts have been silenced courtesy of two wonderful displays by the Real Madrid winger. Firstly, he scored a sublime strike from distance in the league victory over Elche to take his La Liga tally to double figures.
That was followed by a scintillating performance and two goals, one of which was simply breathtaking, that not only helped Los Blancos to that 6-1 triumph in Gelsenkirchen but additionally saw Bale named in Bleacher Report's Team of the Week.
Even before those performances, the questions over Bale's ability were a little unjustified as his individual statistics were fine. However, if this recent showing is what Madrid fans can look forward to in the coming months, then the Bernabeu giants are certainly in with a shout of silverware.
Luka Modric Go
It's incredible what a difference 12 months can make and Croatia star Luka Modric is a glowing testimony to the notion that hard work is rewarded.
A little over a year ago, the former Tottenham midfielder had been voted "the worst signing of 2012" by readers of Spanish newspaper Marca after a turbulent start to his Real career. Fast-forward to February 2014 and those times of difficulty are little more than a faded memory for the €40 million man.
Particularly when he is partnered alongside Xabi Alonso, Modric has started to become the player everybody knew he was capable of; dictating play with consummate ease and offering the perfect outlet from which to start wave after wave of attack.
Last week, David Ornstein of the BBC suggested that Modric was, in fact, La Liga's top-performing player this year and the man that fans of Spanish football are currently most excited about. Those insinuations may be a little hard to swallow, but they do shine light on one of European football's biggest transformations in recent times.
The only thing lacking from the Croatian's game is goals; fortunately, with the likes of Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale, Di Maria and Jese amongst the Real Madrid arsenal, that shouldn't be a problem.
Defensive Delight
Perhaps the biggest source of delight for Carlo Ancelotti will be his defence.
Real Madrid's attack is phenomenal, but then an exciting forward line has been a constant feature throughout the club's history and is burned into the DNA of the Bernabeu setup. Likewise, a leaky defence has also been synonymous with Los Blancos for years and their tendency to leak goals has often led to their downfall.
However, this season has seen vast improvements despite little alteration in terms of personnel.
Key defenders Sergio Ramos and Pepe have finally rid themselves of that rash streak that has resulted in many, many bookings for the Real Madrid pair. Ancelotti has clearly done something to help guide them and it has definitely been rewarded.
A run of eight consecutive clean sheets broke a club record in January, whilst Klaas Jan-Huntelaar's last-minute goal on Wednesday was the first time that Madrid had conceded in more than 11 hours of action.
Another key member of Real's formidable defence is Daniel Carvajal. The 22-year-old may not be a star name like most of his teammates, but he has proved himself to be a worthy choice for right-back. Whilst—on the face of it at least—his involvement may not seem that significant, the fact that a natural defender is now occupying the role has made a notable impact.
For key portions of last season, Mourinho was resigned to using on-loan Michael Essien in an unfamiliar defensive role and that often hindered the balance of the starting XI. However, with Carvajal in the side, the natural stability has now been restored and Madrid are definitely reaping the rewards.
As for the hotly-discussed goalkeeping situation, let's just say that the fact Casillas has remained on the sidelines throughout the campaign illustrates how blessed Los Blancos really are in that department.
Carlo's Calming Influence
Arguably the key to Real's success doesn't lie with the players but rather stems from their coach.
Nobody could ever question the ability of his predecessor Jose Mourinho, but what Ancelotti offers is a far calmer approach. Whereas the Portugese manager thrives on providing entertaining interviews and playing the media games, the Italian cuts a far more reserved character, and perhaps that is exactly what a club such as Real Madrid need.
Real are the biggest club in the world and the media spotlight is constantly focused on Bernabeu ongoings, with every minor revelation being scrutinised in great detail. When you have a persona such as Mourinho, who adores being the central point of attention, it can sometimes result to negative results.
When things went fine during Mourinho's reign, Real looked insatiable. However, on the few occasions that problems did emerge, the club would have definitely benefited from a mild-mannered coach; unfortunately, that is not something the Special One specialises in.
In Ancelotti, though, los Blancos have a coach who is happy to let results do the talking. Whilst he doesn't shy away from media questions, he tends to keep his cards much closer to his chest and that has unquestionably helped his players throughout this campaign—particularly during those early weeks of uncertainty.
Like his predecessor, Ancelotti has been brought in to guide the club to its first Champions League triumph since 2002 and, as was the case with Mourinho, he has a good track record in the competition and can boast two winners medals during his time in charge of AC Milan.
With the wealth of talent at his disposal, he'll be confident of bringing Real's continental drought to an end by lifting the trophy in Lisbon on May 24.
Verdict
If Real Madrid don't win the treble, then they'll at least go mightily close. Only Bayern and Barcelona stand in their way of an unprecedented 10th Champions League title, whilst domestically it is only the Catalonian club who will prevent los Blancos from winning either honour.
It should be an exciting few months at the Bernabeu to say the least.
Do you think Ancelotti can lead Real Madrid to the treble? Post your views below.
Stats courtesy of WhoScored.com, TransferMarkt.co.uk and RealMadrid.com
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