Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has vowed to keep faith with his misfiring forward line amid growing suggestions that he should implement a change of formation to spark a return to winning ways.
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Los Blancos head into tonight’s Champions League second leg meeting with Schalke – which should be nothing more than a formality after a comfortable 2-0 win in Germany two weeks ago – having picked up just one point from their last two La Liga outings, scoring just one penalty in the process.
Ancelotti’s ‘BBC’ forward line of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo have been heavily criticised for their lack of form, with the trio combining for just five goals (Ronaldo 3, Benzema 2) in the team’s last seven games.
Bale’s place is under particular threat after providing no goals or assists in those seven outings, and many fans and pundits have argued that Ancelotti should either drop Bale or play him in a deeper midfield role and switch to a conventional 4-4-2 formation.
But with youngster Jese waiting in the wings for a chance to start, the Italian coach defended both his team’s personnel and their playing system, saying: “I have total faith in them, there is no doubt at all about that.
“They have suffered a loss of form but not just the three of them. They have scored less goals recently because the team as a whole hasn’t been helping the forwards as much as they should. We won’t be changing our identity because it has produced results for us and it’s the system that we’re all comfortable with.
“When I make changes to the midfield, it’s to give the team more balance or to inject freshness but the system remains the same.”
Ancelotti was also able to provide some much-needed positivity by confirming that midfielders Luka Modric and Sami Khedira will both make their returns from injury tonight, while experienced central defender Sergio Ramos should be fit in time for Sunday’s home meeting with Levante.
The return of Keeping the faith: Carlo Ancelotti will stick with his misfiring front three. Modric after a four-month lay-off with a thigh injury is a particular boost with the Clasico trip to Barcelona a week on Sunday, and Ancelotti will ease him back into action gradually to ensure he is fully fit for the trip to the Nou Camp.
“Khedira and Modric are both in the squad and I am hoping to give them minutes,” said the Bernabeu boss.
“It is good news because the return of important players will help us during the final stage of the season. Modric does everything you would expect from a central midfielder and can also help to penetrate and unbalance opponents. I want to give him 30 minutes.”
