Álvaro Benito Points to 3 Players, If Real Madrid Loses It Will Be Because of Them: 'For...'

Real Madrid's plans to face Manchester City are still unclear. There are only hours left before the white team plays against Pep Guardiola's pupils, and there are serious doubts about key positions in Carlo Ancelotti's scheme. The tension of the match is evident in these same debates, given the absences in the Madridist defensive line.

The balance in the tactical scheme that Real Madrid can offer in their visit to Etihad Stadium is one of the most important aspects according to several analysts. One of the latest to emphasize this issue is Álvaro Benito, a former player and coach in the entity presided over by Florentino Pérez.

His analysis of Real Madrid's possible starting eleven on Cadena SER doesn't offer many doubts: "For me, the drawback is that Real Madrid loses the ball". This pressure situation hasn't yielded good results so far this season due to three players highlighted by the commentator: Rodrygo Goes, Kylian Mbappé, and Vinícius.

One of the objectives that the coaching staff should aim for, to win this tie, is that "the team is solid defensively". It would be the "key" to the match according to Álvaro Benito: including the Brazilian wingers and the French forward in the defensive framework proposed by the white club during moments without the ball.

Only Adjustment

"Against City, what we'll need is for all 11 players to run", states the former Merengue player. He also understands that "with 7, you suffer a lot defending", a top-level that no one in the white club can afford in such an important match as this duel against Manchester City. The imbalances that occur without the three forwards contributing in defense could be decisive for Madridist aspirations.

In this context, Álvaro Benito makes it clear that to beat the English team, it is necessary for Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius, and Rodrygo Goes to take on the defensive tasks corresponding to each position. Such adjustments fall to Carlo Ancelotti, who still hasn't found a way to fix the defensive problems of this season.

The injuries of several key players in the Merengue defense haven't helped solve a problem that has greatly reduced the competitive aspirations of the current soccer season. The defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final, by a landslide against FC Barcelona, is the latest example... and perhaps the most illustrative of this trend.

Real Madrid is now focused on playing the best possible match at Etihad Stadium, knowing that the conclusion of the tie will be played at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Many Madridists hope it will be the turning point that makes all those tactical disruptions disappear until the end of the current campaign.