Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to give his attacking trio a much-needed rest ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-final second-leg clash. As a result, Federico Valverde, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard were named in the starting XI during the 1-0 win over Getafe.
Madrid were explosive against City in the first leg but it is understood that Ancelotti wanted more from his players. In that regard, Miguel Angel Lara writes for MARCA that the Italian believes his team lacked an ultimate game-changer during the outing.
This means come the second leg, the manager might as well shake his attacking unit, as a result of which, a certain Rodrygo could be sacrificed.
The idea here is to solidify the defense, and if recent reports are to be believed, the manager will deploy a 4-4-2 counter-attacking approach against the Cityzens. With a narrow four-man midfield, the Italian wants to stop City’s passing passage.
If that is the case, Rodrygo will be dropped to the bench, and the midfield will consist of the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Federico Valverde.
On the other hand, Eduardo Camavinga could also come in place of Tchouameni. Eventually, Vinicius Jr will partner up with Karim Benzema upfront.
Now, Camavinga was exceptional against Man City in the first leg and while everyone would ideally want him to play as a left-back once again, the fact remains that David Alaba, a natural left-back, is available for selection.
If Alaba comes in, Eder Militao might feature alongside Antonio Rudiger in the center of the defense, as the former Chelsea man was simply exceptional against Erling Haaland in the first leg.
As for Rodrygo, his exclusion from the starting XI will be a part of Ancelotti’s tactical prowess.
The Italian understands that playing against City at their turf will be tricky, and considering their style of play, the team will want to close the narrow channels in order to disrupt the passage of their play. In that sense, Valverde would be a perfect fit.
