Atlético
will come up against a Real Madrid side that is very different from the team it
beat in September. And it is a Real side that is performing better in every
department, a more settled team with more confidence and better organisation.
The
structure has changed, Xabi Alonso is back in the mix and other players have
upped their game, like Benzema, Bale and Jesé, who all seem to have much more
life to them than they did for the Bernabéu league derby.
The Real
system is now a 4-3-3, with the biggest surprise being Di María slotting in to
midfield, playing in the middle of the park more than the wing. The midfield
now also boasts a fully recovered Xabi Alonso and a Modric who is full of
mischievous creativity. The slotting together of these different attributes is
what has finally given the team its balance.
The results
started coming and that got the team and Ancelotti believing in the system, and
so they should because they haven't been defeated since they lost at the Camp
Nou. The team has racked up 23 wins and only four draws in all that time.
Stopping Real
Madrid's front line used to be stopping Ronaldo, but nowadays Simeone has to
deal with piledrivers and storming runs from Bale, Benzema's movement between
the lines and his finishing prowess, and perhaps direct runs from Jesé. Let's
not forget that Ronaldo has scored 11 goals in 12 games too.
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