Examining the Real Madrid Positional Battles Ahead of 2016/17 Season
La Liga opens the 2016/17 season at the weekend, and as ever, Real Madrid's squad is packed with talent who will battle to play a big part in Zinedine Zidane's plans.
The French manager had a firm 4-3-3 layout and a basic first XI that was chosen with regularity last season—when fit, at least—but the indications are that he'll rotate and change things up both with regard to personnel and systems in the upcoming campaign.
That change will be important as Real battle for honours on five fronts this year, with the UEFA Super Cup already won, which means the Santiago Bernabeu faithful should expect a fierce battle for places in several key roles.
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Goalkeeper
The first role and the easiest to decide: Kiko Casilla has begun the campaign in goal for Real as Keylor Navas battles back from injury, but in truth, the Spanish stopper is nowhere near the level required to be the regular first-choice at the Bernabeu.
Casilla helped Real to the Super Cup victory over Sevilla, but his performance in that fixture was not without fault, and he showed many times last term—and during pre-season this summer—that the flaws in his game are varied and frequent.
The former Espanyol man kept one clean sheet last season against Malmo in the Champions League and another against Eibar in La Liga, but his other five appearances in the campaign saw him concede 10 goals, including three against each of Sevilla and Shakhtar Donetsk. Add in another two conceded against Sevilla in the Super Cup and he hasn't exactly proved to be a sturdy last line of defence in his time at the club.
Navas, on the other hand, was the best goalkeeper in La Liga during the first three months last season and showed good consistency throughout the campaign, often saving Real from conceding barrel-loads of goals against considerably weaker teams. Recover and stay fit, and he'll be No. 1 again.
Right-back
A slightly similar scenario exists at right-back, where Danilo and Dani Carvajal will fight it out for game time. Despite the Brazilian's poor form last season, where he ended as a figure of ridicule for the fans at times, it was he who ended up accumulating more minutes over all competitions. Carvajal had re-established himself as first-choice by the end of the year, but he suffered an injury in the Champions League final.
The duo provide a trade-off that Zidane may seek to exploit depending on the opposition this season: Carvajal is defensively more reliable, combines play nicely going forward down the flank and is overall the more accomplished player, but Danilo has an amazing physical capacity to surge forward and exploit space, can cross on the run and is a more likely source of goals.
Against teams who have a clever attacking threat down their left, Carvajal is the likely starter, but Danilo will doubtless see plenty of time on the pitch, too.
Centre-back
One of the most frustrating areas of the team for Real Madrid last season was centre-back, where they were unable to establish any partnership with continuity and where individual errors were commonplace.
Sergio Ramos is the captain and first-choice, but the lack of consistency in his game is worrying. His concentration wanes, his judgement appears rash at times and while he can be counted on to be aggressive and determined, those same traits can leave him vulnerable to moving out of position at the wrong times.
Between Pepe and Raphael Varane there will be the ongoing struggle to pair up with Ramos, with both showing great runs of form at different times...and both suffering injuries and inconsistencies at others.
Nearly every great side, teams who consistently win trophies, can count on a regular central-defensive partnership to set the platform for the attackers to thrive. Atletico Madrid have it in La Liga, as do Barcelona. Real need two of their three—Nacho, the fourth, is an outsider—to come through and establish a duo for Zidane to rely on.
Modric's partner
Real will play with both two and three central midfielders at times this season; Casemiro will be involved as the holder more often than not when it's a three-man centre of the park, and Luka Modric will be on the teamsheet always.
The only real opening spot comes for someone to rise up and challenge Toni Kroos for a role in the centre as a playmaker—a distributor from deep who can also surge forward to link with the frontmen.
Mateo Kovacic has had the role in midfield and performed well, and there's every reason to think the Croatian will have a much bigger influence on the team this season—though usurping Kroos entirely will likely remain out of his reach in 16/17.
Isco and James Rodriguez are the alternatives, especially while Ronaldo is out injured and Real operate with a clear 4-1-4-1 to encourage the midfielders to get forward to support the striker.
The fourth attacker
Perhaps the real key to Real's success this season will be how well the attackers combine, adhere to the team tactics and find form in front of goal.
Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo are the first-choice triumvirate, but all three suffered injury absences last term and Ronaldo is starting this season off in the treatment room. Furthermore, Marca's Santiago Siguero also reported that Benzema will miss the season opener at Anoeta with an ongoing hip problem.
The big question for the rest of the Real squad is: Who can battle their way to the top of the pecking order for those games when Zidane needs to bring in someone in place of the BBC?
In the case of Benzema, it's perhaps more straightforward; Alvaro Morata's return to the club means he'll slot straight in at centre-forward and be expected to find a worthwhile goal return to warrant inclusion on a regular basis.
For the wider areas, though, and also when Real play 4-4-2 with Bale and Ronaldo partnered up front late in games as they sometimes have, there's a four-way battle to effectively be the first reserve. Isco, James and Lucas Vazquez were fighting it out last term, and that group has now been added to by Marco Asensio's inclusion for 16/17.
While Vazquez is essentially just a wing option, the other three can all play central midfield, as creative wide men or as No. 10 playmakers, giving Zidane lots of similar options who must all show better consistency and end product to move ahead of each other for game time.
As things stand, Isco and Asensio look to have impressed more than James—but the Colombian is a match-winner, a player who can go on scoring runs to a greater extent than any of the other three. Sort out his fitness and mentality, which has clearly been a sore point for his two most recent coaches, and Real have a top-class player to utilise.
The battle between those players and who can prove the most adequate replacements for Bale and Ronaldo might turn out to be the biggest key of all as to whether Zidane has the squad to retain the Champions League or win La Liga. Real have the quantity they need, now it's about finding out which squad player offers the best quality on a regular basis.
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