If there’s one thing we know following Real Madrid’s weekend derby draw against Atletico, it’s that we don’t know much about the identity of Zinedine Zidane’s strongest front six.
We do know one thing, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s brilliantly taken goal serving another reminder, as if one was needed, that his is the first name on the teamsheet.
Other than that, every place still appears to be up for grabs as Sunday’s game provided a microcosm of Madrid’s whole season by seeing Zidane run through a dazzling range of attacking options without finding any that worked particularly well.
A narrow 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond; a flat 4-4-2 with wingers; 4-3-3; 4-5-1…we’ve seen them all this season, all accompanied by changing personnel, but still it appears that Zidane doesn’t know which is his preferred set-up.
Sunday was a fine example. He started off with Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio on the wings, with Toni Kroos and Mateo Kovacic in the middle and Ronaldo joined by Gareth Bale up front. By the end, Ronaldo, Asensio and Kovacic had been taken off, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Isco brought on, and the only potential member of Madrid’s potential front six not to see any playing time was Casemiro.
Other than Ronaldo, who always looked capable of scoring, none of the nine players involved did their cause much good.
Cristiano Ronaldo bags his 650th career goal against Atlético Madrid this afternoon. A man on fire...🔥
— FTS Football (@FromTStands) April 8, 2018
(🎥IG/kariloca7) pic.twitter.com/C6jF3G3pPP
Kroos coolly sprayed passes but was occasionally bypassed defensively, Asensio flattered to deceive, Bale delivered some good crosses but did little else, Vazquez ran around a lot but lacked end product, Benzema hardly had a touch and Isco floated across the turf looking pretty without providing much substance.
Wednesday’s Champions League quarter final second leg will give Zidane yet another chance to assess his options, with the 3-0 lead his team holds from the first leg allowing the coach to rest, rotate and experiment.
Maybe he’ll hit upon an answer, but maybe it doesn’t really matter whether he does or not because Madrid’s season, and perhaps even Zidane’s entire managerial regime, has been reduced to three games: the two legs of the Champions League semi-final and the Final.
Nothing else really matters. And in that scenario, the usual vital concerns about long-term planning, coherent playing strategies and collective philosophies become irrelevant.
Right now, what matters far more than whether Zidane is instilling a convincing sustainable structure is whether or not his team can win three games – or even just avoid losing them and come out on top in a couple of penalty shoot-outs.
To achieve that, boasting a clear long-term plan could prove to be less advantageous than having various options up your sleeve – the ability to adapt to circumstances and find a solution to whatever challenges might be presented.
Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale in training for the second leg
And Zidane certainly has plenty of possibilities. If the game demands width, he can go with Vazquez, Bale or Asensio. Need some power in the box? It’s time for Bale. A bit more subtlety and creativity? Isco’s your man. More energy in midfield? Kovacic gets the call. The ability to link play and ghost into the box? Benzema has a time to shine.
Zidane is blessed with such a deep squad, he really can do whatever he wants – in contrast to Barcelona, whose match-winning options are basically Lionel Messi and Lionel Messi.
Importantly, it has always been clear that Zidane trusts all his players to deliver. Someone might be out of favour for now, but that player won’t necessarily be confined to the bench forever, and he could end up being the match-winner in the Champions League Final.
And if that means a consistent team shape is sacrificed, will anyone really care?
