Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema or Bale: Why Real Madrid Must Omit One for El Clasico

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale are far from the only Real Madrid players whose form has slipped since the turn of the year, but Carlo Ancelotti should nevertheless be thinking about dropping one of the trio for the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona.

Per J. L. Calderon and J. I. Garcia-Ochoa of Marca, prior to Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to Schalke, the three forwards had seen their goal rate drop from 2.03 per match prior to Christmas to 1.07 per match in 2015.

Despite this dip in form, Ancelotti made it clear in the build-up to the match that dropping one of his front three was not on the agenda.

“As long as they are fit, their presence is non-negotiable because they have given us so much,” he said in pre-match press conference, as per Tom Adams of Yahoo! Sport. “I have total confidence in them, without a doubt.”

His confidence was, in part, justified by the fact that Ronaldo and Benzema scored the goals that prevented Madrid’s very poor performance against Schalke turning into a disastrous early elimination from the Champions League.

But his decision to describe their place in the side as “non-negotiable” drew criticism. AS columnist Alfredo Relano wrote that Ronaldo had earned himself the right to a uncontested place in the starting XI but that the other two were not as worthy:

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Neither Gareth Bale nor Karim Benzema deserves similar distinction, unless we are talking in terms of business and only business, or the caprice of the Real president. From a position of being so mollycoddled they feel free of the commitment to unity that others, as good as or better than them, have to work doubly hard towards.

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While the threat of the first-team axe is unlikely to be a significant performance-driver for players of the calibre of Madrid’s front three, its absence still provides Bale, in particular, with little reason to truly dedicate himself to his assigned defensive tasks—especially against lower-level opposition when it is probable such failings will not be punished or highlighted.

It also doesn’t send out a positive message to the rest of the squad. How are Jese Rodriguez and Javier Hernandez supposed to feel? Do other players regularly consigned to the bench wonder whether there are unspoken untouchables in their own positions?

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Yet beyond questions or motivation or squad harmony, there are problems with tactics that could be solved by dropping one of the regular front three against the better teams in La Liga and in Europe.

There is a lack of balance in the 4-3-3, particularly toward the left-hand side, where Ronaldo resides. The indefatigable Angel Di Maria was generally able to cover this imbalance last season but both James Rodriguez and Isco—the two players regularly employed there this season—are players with different attributes.

Ronaldo’s transition from a rampaging wide forward to a penalty-box poacher—evidenced by the fact that just two of his 38 goals in league and Champions League play so far this season have been scored from outside the area, per WhoScored.com—means that opposition right-backs are not pinned back as they once were.

Teams with a structured game plan have been able to create overloads against Madrid in wide areas. Since the turn of the year, Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao and Schalke have all had joy when attacking in this manner. Other lesser teams have created good situations without taking full advantage.

While the return of Luka Modric will undoubtedly bring better balance to Madrid’s midfield, it is likely that these same problems will persist as long as Ancelotti continues to employ Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo in unison in big matches.

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Jose Felix Diaz of Marca reported on Wednesday that Madrid president Florentino Perez has given Ancelotti carte blanche to make the changes necessary to return the club to winning ways. “Do whatever you want, change whoever you want and play however you want,” he is reported to have said to the Italian.

And an article by the same author in the same paper on Thursday suggested that Ancelotti is now considering dropping one of Bale, Benzema or Ronaldo for the Clasico against Barcelona on March 22.

Two of Madrid’s most accomplished performances this season—the back-to-back victories away to Liverpool and at home to Barcelona in October—came when they used a 4-4-2 formation with four dedicated midfielders. They were able to control the ball more effectively, while the players were ideally positioned across the pitch to facilitate a well-structured defensive setup.

The club’s last two victories over Barcelona—in the league earlier this season and in last season’s Copa del Rey final—both came with one of the regular front three unavailable and with the team aligned in that formation.

If Ancelotti wishes to reinvigorate Madrid’s season and regain control of the Primera Division title race with a positive result at Camp Nou, dropping one of the BBC in order to move to a 4-4-2 formation appears the best way to do it.