Why Isco Is so Vital to Real Madrid's La Liga and Champions League Quest

Isco was demoted to the bench after six consecutive starts for Real Madrid’s home win over Rayo Vallecano last weekend. But he still remains vital to their hopes of success in both La Liga and the Champions League.

He certainly has a larger role to play than he did last season, during which he struggled to justify the €30 million fee Madrid had paid to prise him away from Malaga.

There were flashes of the mesmerising ability to manipulate the ball, the vision to spot a pass and the precise finishes he had displayed on the south coast. But he struggled for consistency and was unable to pin down a regular place in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI.

His lack of playing time saw him miss out on Spain’s World Cup squad.

The current season has, however, started in much more promising fashion. Isco has drawn plaudits for a string of impressive performances in a Madrid side who currently top La Liga and have already secured progress to the Champions League knockout stages.

He marked his first start for the national team with a beautiful goal and fine performance in a 3-0 win at home to Belarus on Saturday.

It was only ever likely to be a matter of time. The innate talent he displayed at Malaga—whom he helped inspire to the last eight of the Champions League in 2013—didn’t disappear overnight. The confidence he showed while playing for the Andalusian side away to Madrid at the back end of the 2012-13 season just needed rekindling.

During pre-season, Carlo Ancelotti seemed keen to find a more regular place in his side for the 22-year-old. Per Marca, he even suggested that Isco could fulfil a false-nine role if required.

Yet it is on the left of midfield in a 4-4-2 that Isco has begun to demonstrate his ability.

As I suggested it would, Isco’s introduction in the starting XI in place of the injured Gareth Bale has allowed Madrid to play in a more balanced and possession-centric manner. He and the other wide midfielder, James Rodriguez, have done their bit at both ends of the pitch.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Isco starred at Malaga as an attacking midfielder and it is still his offensive qualities that stand out. Per WhoScored.com, he has produced five assists and one goal from five starts and six substitute appearances in La Liga to date.

He leads Madrid in successful dribbles per match (2.2) and although his key pass numbers are a little low (1.1 per match), his near-90-percent pass completion rate suggests he is making decent, if not always incisive, use of possession.

Perhaps most impressively, his dribble success rate of 51 percent is the fifth best among La Liga’s 20 most prolific dribblers.

In addition, Isco has shown the necessary intelligence to alter his positioning in line with that of Cristiano Ronaldo, as noted by Madrid-based writer Thore Haugstad.

His offensive production is now also allied to a strong work-rate. In a recent article in El Pais (in Spanish), Diego Torres revealed that the Madrid coaching staff have been working closely with Isco for some time in order to improve the defensive side of his game. The results can be clearly seen in his statistics so far this season.

Per WhoScored, Isco has posted respectable numbers of tackles (1.4) and interceptions (0.5) per match in league play. In the Champions League, he ranks third in the Madrid squad in combined tackles and interceptions, with an average of 5.4 per match.

His defensive performance in the 3-0 win away to Liverpool was particularly impressive, as illustrated by his FourFourTwo Stats Zone defensive dashboard. The green Xs are successful tackles, the diamonds are interceptions and the circle represents a successful clearance.

Courtesy of FourFourTwo Stats Zone

This synthesis of technical ability and defensive responsibility, also seen in Rodriguez, was one of the keys to Madrid’s victory over Barcelona in El Clasico.

Ancelotti is certainly happy with Isco’s current contribution to the team. “He’s really focused, covers lots of ground and is on his best form since he got here,” the Italian coach commented after the Copa del Rey victory over Cornella in late-October, as per Marca.

“We hope he carries on as he is and maintains the same attitude.”

Bale’s return from injury means that Isco will probably have to share game time with Rodriguez over the coming months. But, as per AS, Ancelotti has also stated that he could replace Luka Modric or Toni Kroos in the centre of midfield if necessary.

The Benalmadena native is in such good form that it seems unlikely he will spend significant time on the bench.

The esteem in which he is held by the Madrid supporters was made clear by the standing ovation they afforded him when he was substituted in the latter stages of the Clasico. And, indeed, by the chants of “Isco, Isco” that have accompanied his every subsequent appearance.

After an inconsistent first season in the capital, everything now seems to be falling into place for the young midfielder. Isco has demonstrated what he can bring to the team and is likely to play a regular role in Madrid’s quest for honours between now and May.