Real Madrid use a 1-4-3-3 formation, but when an opponent blocks the centre Carlo Ancelotti does not hesitate to seek more fluidity and width in a 1-4-2-3-1 shape.
Characteristic of Ancelotti’s style at Madrid it’s beginning to be about using players’ skills without attaching them to specific positions. Central midfielders are often moved to the flanks, with offensive players given defensive tasks and vice versa.
The key to Real’s effective attacks is the movement of central midfielders deep in midfield (Modric, Kroos, Tchouameni). When faced with a high line of pressure from rivals often observed pattern is the movement of one of Real’s midfielders (Kroos, Modric) to the sideline with the central defenders positioning themselves wider. This makes pressing more difficult for opponents, who then have to spread out which helps the Real to play the ball in the centre and penetrate forward.
Wings generally function asymmetrically. When the right side moves higher (Carvajal, Valverde), the left full-back (Mendy) positions itself deeper and closer to the centre sometimes taking over the pivot role even. This does not usually affect the high position of the left winger (Vinicius) while on the right it allows an additional variant involving rotation between the winger (Valverde) and the forward (Benzema) coming down into the half-space at the time. In this way they are able to progress through the centre easier.
The midfielder playing deeper in the centre (Modric) controls the team’s tempo, but also, with the help of the two CBs, has the responsibility of breaking up the opponent’s counter-attacks.
Defensively the side defenders put aggressive pressure on the rival’s wingers by limiting their space and movement into the space, while in the middle of the pitch Real are ready to fight harder with the help of the wingers coming inside. On the other hand in case of higher pressing it’s the wingers who are tasked with pressing the rival’s side defenders limiting the wide options to play the ball.
