Real Madrid had big dreams for the 2024-25 season. With the arrival of superstar Kylian Mbappe, the team was hoping to win everything
They already had a strong squad that had won La Liga and the Champions League in recent seasons. Adding Mbappe seemed like the perfect move to make them even stronger.
However, things haven’t gone as planned. While Mbappe has scored goals, Real Madrid hasn’t been as impressive as expected.
Losses to teams like Barcelona in La Liga and Lille in the Champions League have shown that something isn’t quite right.
And now, with the retirement of Toni Kroos, it’s clear that they are missing a key player.
Madrid are now behind Barcelona by 9 points in the league and might struggle to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds.
It’s not time to panic yet, but things are looking shaky for the team.
Fortunately, there are clear problems to fix, and coach Carlo Ancelotti knows what he needs to do to get the team back on track.
1. Get More from Kylian Mbappe
Let’s be clear: Kylian Mbappe is doing well in terms of goals. In his first 14 games for Madrid, he has scored 8 goals and provided 2 assists. That’s a solid record for any player.
But there’s still a feeling that Mbappe could be doing more to help the team.
Mbappe has always been a great goal-scorer, but he hasn’t changed much in his style of play.
He’s still the same player he was when he was 20 at PSG, and his game hasn’t grown a lot since then. This is a concern because Madrid need him to be more than just a goal machine.
Tactically, Mbappe often drifts to the left, which can cause too many players to crowd the same areas.
Off the ball, he doesn’t work hard enough. When his team loses the ball, he sometimes stops running.
While he doesn’t have to press non-stop, Ancelotti needs to get Mbappe to work harder in defense and contribute more to the team overall.
2. Bring Jude Bellingham Back to His Best
Jude Bellingham was a star last season. He played brilliantly and scored a lot of goals in his first year at Madrid.
But this season, his form has dropped. He hasn’t scored a single goal yet, and he’s been less involved in the attack.
Bellingham was expected to score fewer goals this season with Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. in the team.
However, no one expected his goal tally to fall off a cliff.
At just 21 years old, Bellingham is still learning, and sometimes he tries to do too much on the pitch.
His mistakes have been more obvious, and that has led to criticism.
Ancelotti now needs to find a way to get Bellingham back to his best.
He’s a great all-round player who can do a bit of everything, but he needs to be more involved in the attack while still giving space for Mbappe and Vinicius to shine.
It won’t be easy, but Ancelotti has the experience to figure it out.
3. Control Midfield without Toni Kroos’s
One of Madrid’s biggest issues this season is the loss of Toni Kroos.
The German midfielder was crucial to the team’s success. He could control the game with his passing and keep things calm in the middle of the pitch.
Without Kroos, Madrid has struggled to find that same balance.
Players like Fede Valverde and Bellingham can pass the ball well, but they don’t have Kroos’s ability to slow down the game and control the tempo.
Luka Modric has that skill, but he’s been used in a deeper role, which limits his influence going forward.
Tchouameni and Camavinga are good at breaking up opposition attacks, but they’re not yet as good at creating chances.
Without Kroos, Madrid has become a more direct and aggressive team, which works sometimes, but also leaves them vulnerable to counterattacks.
Ancelotti needs to find a way to bring more control to the midfield to avoid getting caught on the break.
4. Solve the Right-Back Problem
The injury to Dani Carvajal in October has left a big hole at right-back. Carvajal was in great form last season, but now Madrid are missing his experience and quality.
Lucas Vazquez has been playing in Carvajal’s place, but he’s not a natural right-back.
He used to be a winger, so his defensive skills aren’t always up to scratch.
Vazquez’s performances have been mixed, and he was at fault for two goals in the Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund.
Ancelotti might need to move Militao to right-back, a position he’s played before for Brazil, and bring in Aurelien Tchouameni in central defense.
This could solve the problem for now, but Madrid will likely need to buy a new right-back in the future.
5. Fix the Defense
While most of the focus has been on Madrid’s attack, Ancelotti believes the real problem is in defense.
The team has made too many mistakes at the back this season, which has led to goals conceded.
In their first 14 games, Madrid have already let in 15 goals—too many for a team that wants to win trophies.
Ferland Mendy was caught out by Lamine Yamal in the El Clasico, Antonio Rudiger has been less solid than last season, and Eder Militao is still recovering from an ACL injury.
Overall, the defense has been inconsistent and needs improvement.
Ancelotti must work on making the defense stronger.
The team needs to stop making individual mistakes and become more organized at the back.
6. Bring back the Los-Blancos team spirit
Real Madrid’s success in recent years has been partly due to the strong team spirit and good atmosphere in the dressing room.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti has always been good at creating a positive environment, where even the biggest stars can thrive together.
However, this season, the atmosphere doesn’t seem as good. There’s been more frustration on the pitch, and players have been seen arguing.
The situation around Vinicius not winning the Ballon d`Or has also caused tension.
Madrid are still winning games, but the harmony that helped them in previous seasons seems to be missing.
Ancelotti needs to restore that team spirit.
Winning games will help, but he must also ensure the players stay united and motivated.
If he can bring back the good vibes, Madrid will have a better chance of bouncing back and fighting for trophies again.
Real Madrid has a lot of work to do, but the problems are not impossible to fix.
From getting more out of Mbappe to solving issues in defense and midfield, Ancelotti has the experience to make the right changes.
If he can get these things right, Madrid will still have a chance to compete for the biggest prizes this season.
But if these issues go unresolved, it could be a difficult season for the Spanish giants.
