A Progress Report on Real Madrid's Squad Entering March International Break
Real Madrid head into the March international break feeling low. Sunday night saw them suffer a 2-1 defeat in El Clasico to Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Carlo Ancelotti's players have suffered in recent weeks, with their amazing form from the first half of the season a distant dream.
The squad look tired and unable to produce many openings in the second half against Barcelona, who grew into the game.
Here we look at the state of the squad, which Ancelotti must do too as he tries to make up the four-point lead Barcelona have on his side at the top of La Liga.
We break the team down into its departments, analyse how each one has performed so far and lay out what is expected of them in the weeks ahead, as Madrid try to chase the Catalans and retain the Champions League.
Goalkeepers
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Iker Casillas, Keylor Navas, Fernando Pacheco
In theory, Real Madrid should be comfortable in this position. Keylor Navas, who was signed from Levante in the summer, is an excellent goalkeeper and has proved it time and time again in La Liga.
However, he hasn't been given much of a shot by Ancelotti, who has stuck with Iker Casillas.
Casillas, a Madrid legend, was not at fault for the defeat in El Clasico, but in his previous start, he made three big errors against Schalke 04 in the Champions League.
It didn't cost Madrid, who qualified for the quarter-finals, but the 4-3 defeat at the Bernabeu was a huge morale blow.
Ancelotti will, in all likelihood, keep Casillas between the sticks for Madrid's run-in, but the braver and potentially cleverer thing to do would be to use Navas.
Right-Backs
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Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Arbeloa
Between Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Arbeloa, Madrid have everything they need at right-back. Carvajal is young, athletic and has impressed, even in big games.
His performance against Barcelona on Sunday night was nothing special, and he was lucky not to have been sent off for tangling with Neymar, but it would be churlish to judge him only on that.
Arbeloa, meanwhile, is old, experienced and cunning. Between these two players, Madrid should be able to cope with the games to come.
Perhaps they will look to replace Arbeloa in the summer, but for now, there is no problem.
Carvajal has started the majority of Madrid's matches, including six of the last seven. The only game that Arbeloa recently started was the 4-3 defeat by Schalke in the Champions League.
Left-Backs
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Marcelo, Fabio Coentrao
Marcelo is arguably the best left-back in the world. The Brazilian defender is one of Real Madrid's strong points.
He attacks at speed with venom and isn't afraid of cutting inside and using his right foot for a shot, or to play a through ball.
Marcelo demonstrated this twice during El Clasico, helping to set up a chance for Cristiano Ronaldo, which came back off the crossbar. He then had a shot blocked.
His goal against Schalke 04 in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie was brilliant, but he's also decent defensively.
While Madrid aren't often on the back foot, when they are, they can rely on Marcelo to do the job.
He's Ancelotti's favourite, with Fabio Coentrao rarely featuring these days.
That's partly due to the Portuguese player's injury troubles and partly because Marcelo is a much better option.
The last two times Coentrao started games, Madrid lost 4-3 to Schalke and 4-0 to Atletico Madrid, two embarrassing defeats.
Centre-Backs
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Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Raphael Varane, Nacho
This is a strong area for Real Madrid. Sergio Ramos is a leader and an excellent defender who they have missed recently because of injury.
Although Ramos was not at his best in El Clasico, letting Jeremy Mathieu escape him on a set piece to score Barcelona's first goal, he is still one of the top defenders in world football.
Alongside him more often than not, is Pepe. He too had a poor match against Barcelona, conceding the free-kick that led to the Mathieu goal, getting booked for fouling Suarez and getting substituted to prevent getting sent off.
That said, he has played well for most of the season and has even cut out his dirty play, being booked only twice in all competitions throughout the campaign.
Raphael Varane is a hot prospect and the object of desire for many managers, given his potential to become one of the best defenders in the world.
He found his feet at Madrid under Jose Mourinho and has been given a few chances since, particularly when injuries have kept Pepe and Ramos out.
Nacho, meanwhile, provides solid, versatile support. You wouldn't want him starting too many games, but he's a good player to have on the bench.
The return of Ramos means that we can expect him and Pepe to form Madrid's central partnership between now and the end of the season.
Central Midfielders
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Luka Modric, Isco, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Sami Khedira, Lucas Silva, Asier Illarramendi
This was a difficult category to judge. Should Madrid's midfielders be looked at in a group, or broken down further into defensive and attacking midfielders?
The truth is, so many of them cross over into other categories that it would be hard to say whether Toni Kroos, for example, is attack-minded or defence-minded, because he is both. The same goes for Luka Modric and even Isco.
Isco is the most impressive of the group at this point in time.
As discussed on Bleacher Report previously, the midfielder is finally getting the credit he deserves for accepting that he cannot be a pure No. 10 in this Madrid setup.
He has changed his game by running more and working harder but retaining his magic touch, and it is paying dividends. Isco often helps out Marcelo by tracking back on the left.
In El Clasico he was subdued, and it's quite possible that he's tired. After starting three of Madrid's first 12 games of the season, he's started 29 of the last 32.
Isco has established his place in the side, and barring injury, suspension or an unimaginable dip in form, he will stay there until the season ends.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric will as well. The former is playing at a significantly lower level now than at the start of the season and it's a clear issue of fatigue.
Modric, meanwhile, missed three months injured and has just returned, slotting back into the side perfectly.
Ancelotti has missed the Croatian, who brings a sense of balance and poise to Madrid, which has been missing in 2015.
He was one of the best Los Blancos players during El Clasico, despite it being his first full match back.
What that means is that the other midfielders in this category will not be featuring much between now and the season's end.
Lucas Silva, signed in January, has looked reasonable, but not spectacular. Asier Illarramendi and Sami Khedira have disappointed when they have been given chances.
The odd one out is James Rodriguez, who is currently injured. He was playing magnificently before he was ruled out, and Madrid are missing him.
When he comes back, Ancelotti will be able to rotate a little in the midfield and allow for rest, or he may deploy him further forward, breaking up the "BBC" strike force.
Forwards
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Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Javier Hernandez, Jese
In theory, Real Madrid have the best, or second best, strike force in the world. In practice, it's not turning out like that.
The first half of the season went like a dream for Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale. The "BBC" trio were running amok, helping Madrid to a record-breaking 22-game unbeaten run.
However, things have changed since they returned from the Club World Cup, with each performing at significantly lower levels than they are capable off.
This slump has affected Karim Benzema the least. The Frenchman has still performed to a reasonable standard.
He was the stand-out Madrid player in El Clasico, setting up Ronaldo's goal with a beautiful backheel and providing other chances for his wasteful partners.
Bale, meanwhile, went through a period where he did not score or assist for eight matches in a row. It was a remarkable spell for the most expensive player in the world.
He ended that with a brace against Levante, but disappointed again against Barcelona on Sunday night.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has endured the greatest fall from grace. After outscoring Lionel Messi by a margin of 12 goals by mid-December, he now trails the Argentine by one in the Golden Shoe race.
But goals aside, his performances, demeanour and general behaviour have been shocking.
Yet Ancelotti continues to defend his star, insisting he's still performing at his usual high level.
Per Sport, the Italian said after El Clasico: "Ronaldo's game was very complete. He had a lot of chances, created chances, was always dangerous, hit the woodwork. So, no, I do not think we are seeing a different Cristiano."
Javier Hernandez and youngster Jese barely get a look, with the presence of the BBC essentially set in stone.
Perhaps if Ronaldo or Bale suffered a minor injury during the international break and Jese replaced them for a few games, it might add some vitality to Madrid's attack.
That will probably be the only way he gets to start. Ancelotti seems totally loyal to the big-name forwards.
Manager
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A quick note on the Italian. Ancelotti is not having a happy time at the moment.
He frequently appears clueless in press conferences as to why his Madrid side are struggling in the second half of the season.
Ancelotti has frequently denied there are fitness issues with the team, but most viewers of Madrid games in recent weeks would say otherwise.
The team has suffered a lot because of injuries to Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez, three key players. But despite this, Madrid should be performing to a higher standard.
Two of those men are back now, and an improvement will be demanded in the weeks to come.
If one of the Champions League or La Liga trophies do not end up back at the Santiago Bernabeu this season, this could be the end of Ancelotti at Madrid.
The coach deserves better, but club president Florentino Perez is not a man known for his long-term thinking or his forgiveness.
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