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#3 Lack of a plan B
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti holds a special place in every Madridista’s heart, for he was the orchestrator of Real Madrid’s famous “La Decima.” Ancelotti not only won Real their 10th Champions League, but he was also the last manager to lead them to the Copa del Rey in 2014. In his second spell, the Madridistas are expecting him to be just as influential, expecting him to lead the team to multiple trophies once again.
Ancelotti has always been an excellent manager, making his teams play an exciting brand of football. However, he has never been flexible when it comes to his game plans. He sticks with his initial plan irrespective of how badly it is going and often ends up paying the price.
On Wednesday, Inter will look to run behind Real's defenders and hit them on the break. Failing to contain the runs could turn out to be devastating for the visitors. So far, Ancelotti has not managed to find a way to block counters, and we are not confident of seeing him adapt this quickly.
#2 Casemiro’s poor form
Like Karim Benzema, Casemiro has been playing constantly for his club and country over the last year. Ravaged by fatigue, Casemiro has been performing well below his sky-high standards, affecting the flow of Real Madrid’s generally impressive midfield. Casemiro is the glue that holds the Real Madrid midfield together, which is why his poor displays are sticking out like a sore thumb.
With Toni Kroos ruled out with a groin injury, Madrid will need to rely once again on Casemiro in midfield for the game at Inter. The Brazilian needs to find a way to plug the holes in defence and cut Inter's passing lanes as he so expertly does. Any slip-up on Wednesday would allow Inter to land a killer blow and seal maximum points against the 13-time European champions.
#1 Real Madrid’s leaky defence
Real Madrid lost Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos in the summer transfer window, leaving them with Nacho and Eder Militao at the heart of defense. David Alaba has been acquired and Jesus Vallejo recalled, but the former is a natural left-back, not a centre-back. The lack of quality in centre-back positions has already been exploited by La Liga teams Celta Vigo and Levante. Los Blancos conceded five goals in these two matches alone, which is concerning, to say the least.
With the likes of Nicolo Barella, Edin Dzeko, Lautaro Martinez and Ivan Perisic waiting to pull the trigger, Madrid need to be at their best. Alaba’s return to the squad is encouraging, but the lack of cover in the middle is unlikely to be fixed. It is going to be a long night for Madrid defenders in Milan, and they will need to be uncharacteristically compact to shut Inter out.
