Carlo Ancelotti faces big calls in potentially his last league Clasico
Only a win will do if Real Madrid are to chase down Barcelona in La Liga, with Carlo Ancelotti needing to find a way to free Vinicius Junior against the leaders… as the Italian potentially faces his last league Clasico
- Carlo Ancelotti may leave Real Madrid this summer amid interest from Brazil
- The Italian will be determined to chase down leaders Barcelona and win La Liga
- Ancelotti faces key selection decisions ahead of must-win Clasico on Sunday
Carlo Ancelotti wants to avoid going from the high of beating Liverpool 6-2 on aggregate on Wednesday, to the low of being 12 points behind Barcelona in La Liga with only 12 games left on Sunday – so only a win will do at the Camp Nou this weekend.
This may be his last year at Real Madrid whatever happens – the interest from the Brazil Federation is very real, and so is Ancelotti’s interest in finishing an extraordinary career by coaching Vinicius, Rodrygo and Militao in a World Cup finals. The fact that his contract at Madrid runs to 2024 might not be enough to hinder him doing that from this summer.
But he will want to leave the Spanish club with some silverware – and he’s too shrewd not to want to fight on all fronts just in case Madrid’s old magic in the Champions League doesn’t work for them in Europe this season.
Madrid were superb earlier this week against Liverpool with Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao impenetrable in the centre of a defence that looked bullet-proof with Nacho drafted in at left back.
In midfield Eduardo Camavinga put in another faultless display between the veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos – after the game there were familiar cries for the latter two to be given new deals and for the former to be recognised as the best young midfielder in Europe right now.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti may take charge of his final Clasico amid interest from Brazil
Eduardo Camavinga was among the stars as Real beat Liverpool in the Champions League
Ancelotti named a strong side against Liverpool despite the close proximity to the Clasico
In attack Vinicius was at his best once more and all that was missing was the goals from the Brazilian and his attacking cohorts Karim Benzema and Fede Valverde.
The only surprise was that the gala IX was sent out for a Champions League game in which Madrid already lead 5-3. No team had ever turned around such a deficit and yet Ancelotti went all-in despite the proximity of the game that could save Real Madrid’s domestic season.
A rested Barca with Pedri back to fitness will be desperate to get at Madrid in the Sunday night kick-off. And if Madrid are beaten then playing his best side against Jurgen Klopp’s team just four days before the biggest league game of the season will come back to haunt him, but Ancelotti knows best and he has the squad to mix things up.
If he decides Modric and Kroos do not have two starts in four days in them then Aurelian Tchouameni and Dani Ceballos could be drafted in to join the tireless Camavinga. He also has the option of starting with Rodrygo Goes in attack and putting Fede Valverde back in midfield.
The biggest question will be what he does with Vinicius. Madrid’s Superman has found its Kryptonite. Xavi will almost certainly line-up Ronald Araujo at right back and it will be up to Madrid’s 63-year-old coach to come up with the antidote to the antidote.
He could switch Vinicius’ wing with Rodrygo playing on the left and Vinicius on the right. Or he could challenge Vinicius to overcome his most effective marker yet. It’s 9-1 to Barcelona on aggregate in games where Araujo has been put on Vinicius and Ancelotti is yet to find an answer to Barca’s most effective way of stopping his team play.
Ancelotti ought to be boosted by the recent history – Barcelona have only beaten Real Madrid at home once in their last nine home meetings. It’s only one win in seven years with the 5-1 win over Julen Lopetegui’s team in 2018 the outlier. That thrashing was the end for the now Wolves coach.
Ancelotti’s biggest call will be where to field Vinicius during the vital match at the Nou Camp
Vinicius has starred for Real Madrid this season but is yet to shine against Barcelona
Barcelona head coach will look to stifle Vinicius to help preserve their lead in La Liga
Would a Barca win, especially a big one help cut short Anceloti’s second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu and free him up for Brazil? Maybe but he will not want to go that way.
It’s true the Champions League feels more important and a second leg turnaround in the Cup semi-final Barcelona lead 1-0 from the first leg would also help the club gloss over a league reverse. But neither can be guaranteed.
Fail to reach and win the Copa del Rey final and surrendering the league so early begins to look a lot worse. Fall at the next hurdle in Europe and having lost sight of Barcelona at the top would look even worse..
It’s one thing to be out of the title race and on course to win two trophies to go with the European Super Cup won at the start of the season, it’s quite another to be 12 points adrift of Barcelona in March and then knocked out of the Spanish and European Cup in April. Ancelotti will know that and it’s why he can’t afford to take Sunday’s showdown – maybe his last in the league at the Camp Nou – lightly.
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