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After winning the La Liga following a gap of three years last season, Real Madrid are set to kick off their 2020-21 campaign next week after a rather short break. After their only friendly of the 2020 pre-season finished in a massive 6-0 win against fellow La Liga side Getafe, they'll head into the first game of the season brimming with confidence.
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has already announced that there won't be any new signings during this transfer window, so it seems manager Zinedine Zidane will have to make do with the players on whom he spent over €300 million last summer.
Well, Zidane managed to lift the league title virtually without last season's marquee signing Eden Hazard and thus he should not find the absence of any new reinforcements this term concerning.
Some players are assured of a first-team place thanks to their heroics last season, but Zidane might want to experiment with others, especially in the midfield. One of the biggest tasks ahead of him is to find out which of his players can complement Karim Benzema in the attack.
Real Madrid have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League two seasons in a row in the last 16, and reclaiming their continental throne has to be one of the biggest goals for Zidane this season.
We know Real Madrid have got depth in their squad but does Zidane's team have the quality to mount a two-pronged challenge for the La Liga and Champions League titles? It will all come down to how the squad performs collectively this season and here we take a look at how Los Blancos could line up in the 2020-21 season.
Also See: La Liga Transfer News, Real Madrid Transfer News
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
It is quite clear that Belgian shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois is the first-choice goalkeeper for Zidane who really trusts the former Atletico Madrid player.
The 28-year-old kept 18 clean sheets in the La Liga last season, the most by any goalkeeper across Europe's top five leagues.
That stat is even more impressive when we take into consideration that the 2018-19 campaign was statistically the worst season of his career. He conceded 48 goals in 35 games in 2018-19 and kept just eight La Liga clean sheets in the season before last.
The fact that he doesn't have a lot of competition for his spot also makes him a guaranteed starter for Real Madrid. Andriy Lunin and Diego Altube have not played a single game for the first team and it is difficult to imagine either of the duo receiving a call-up from Zidane unless Courtois is out injured.
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Defence
Right-Back: Dani Carvajal
Real Madrid’s defence was their weakest department in the 2018-19 season but the same defence proved to be their biggest strength last season. Right-back Dani Carvajal has been a loyal servant of the capital club and will continue to be a part of Zidane's gameplan this season as well.
The Spanish defender's ability to operate at both ends of the pitch makes him a key figure on the right flank. Like Courtois, he too doesn't have a lot of competition and is likely to feature in every single game if injuries don't keep him out.
With Achraf Hakimi now at Inter Milan, it is up to Alvaro Odriozola to step up in training and challenge his compatriot for a spot in the starting XI as the season gets underway.
Centre-back: Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos was the pivotal figure in Real Madrid's late surge towards the title post the lockdown and led from the front, successfully fulfilling his duties as their true leader. He is one of the world's best central defenders and will be a key player for Los Merengues in the 2020-21 season.
He has established that his technique and determination are beyond doubt. This is evident from the fact that despite being 34 years old he can keep a much younger Eder Militao on the bench. He has tremendous fitness levels and can surely start in every single game of the season; that is if he can stop himself from getting booked so often.
Centre-back: Raphael Varane
Though Sergio Ramos might've taken all the limelight thanks to his incredible performances at both ends of the pitch, Raphael Varane was a great silent partner for the Spaniard who handled everything in front of him in a composed manner last season, well almost.
He had a night to forget against Manchester City in their Champions League Round-of-16 second-leg meeting, as he was responsible for both of City's goals that night.
Apart from that, the 2018 World Cup-winner had produced solid displays at the heart of the defence for Real Madrid and will be the preferred centre-back partner for Ramos next season as well. It is expected that Zidane can rest him for cup matches and bring in Militao.
Left Back: Marcelo
When he is fully fit, Real Madrid defender Marcelo ranks among the world's finest left-backs. He has a good relationship with Zidane and now that he is back to full fitness, we expect him to start ahead of the impressive Ferland Mendy.
Left-back is a position where Real Madrid have a lot of depth, though Sergio Reguilon, who was one of the most impressive left-backs of the La Liga last term and won the Europa League with Sevilla, is set to leave the club.
The combination of Carvajal and Marcelo on the flanks is a tried and tested one and it would not be surprising to see Zidane using the same combination with the centre-back duo of Ramos and Varane at the heart of the defence for Real Madrid.
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Midfield
Defensive midfield: Casemiro
Having a player like Casemiro is proving to be both a boon and a bane for Real Madrid. The Brazilian is the best defensive midfielder in the world at the moment and crucial to Madrid's game both while attacking and defending.
He has been so good for so many seasons that finding a capable replacement for him has become nigh impossible.
With the option of signing a new player out of the question, Zidane can only hope that the player who led Real Madrid in minutes and played for the entirety of the previous campaign does not pick up an injury mid-season. If he does so they are in trouble.
Though Fede Valverde could fill in for him, he is not so strong defensively and cannot produce a similar kind of display in a defensive midfielder's role. All of the remaining midfielders are more creative than Casemiro, and thus his role will be as important as it was in the previous season in the 2020-21 campaign.
Central midfield: Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is often considered one of the best midfielders of his generation thanks to his exemplary vision and distribution. He was crucial to Real Madrid's buildup play last season and had the best passing stats in La Liga.
Zinedine Zidane is clearly very impressed by the German international and holds his work in high regard. Earlier this month he heaped praise on the midfield maestro, claiming that it is a privilege to work with the former Bayern Munich superstar. He said:
"Toni Kroos will be remembered as a spectacular player, one of the best in the world in his position. When I arrived, well, you can imagine, I was really happy to be his coach."
He is still at the peak of his powers and we can expect him to deliver top-notch performances for Real Madrid in the near term future as well.
Central midfield: Luka Modric
Like many of Real Madrid's players, Luka Modric had a rough 2018-19 season, but managed to put it in the rear-view window with a solid conclusion to his 2019-20 campaign, playing eight of the final 11 games as they marched towards the league title.
He was sometimes replaced with Fede Valverde in some of the unimportant fixtures, and this season, with the inclusion of Martin Ødegaard, we can expect the 35-year-old's playing time to get reduced even further.
The Croatian's contract was automatically extended till 2021 after his Ballon d'Or triumph in 2018 and though this might be his final season at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu he still has a lot to offer to Real Madrid.
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Attack
Left-wing: Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard will have the chance to start his career with Real Madrid anew this season after injuries kept him from reaching the same heights he scaled at Chelsea. When he's fully fit, he's probably one of the first names on the team sheet and brings a lot of quality in the final third.
As things stand he is out of this season's opener against Real Sociedad due to an ankle injury and all things considered this is not he would've wished for his second season with the Spanish outfit to get underway.
Hazard netted just one goal across 22 appearances in his debut campaign in Spain, and though Madrid ended up winning their first league title in three years last season, he drew a lot of flak for an injury-marred campaign. If he can keep up his fitness levels he can be the star player for them this season.
Right-wing: Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio established himself as one of the most promising talents in Europe three years ago when he lit up the La Liga with his eye-catching performances for Real Madrid in the 2017-18 season as a 21-year-old. Since that season his performances and fitness levels have been dodgy.
Due to a serious crucial ligament injury, he missed the majority of the 2019-20 campaign and when he returned from injury, could only clock a total of 363 minutes on the pitch. Fortunately, his cameo appearance proved to be an impressive one as he showed that he can operate much better on the right-wing as a naturally left-footed player with all of his three goals and one assist coming from that position.
If he is fully fit, his presence solves a major issue for Zidane, as his speed, dribbling abilities and deadly left-foot can provide much-needed energy on the right flank. If he struggles with injuries yet again, we can expect to see Lucas Vasquez, Ødegaard or even Isco to start in that position.
Striker: Karim Benzema
From quietly accepting his role as the No.2 to all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for nine seasons and then enjoying two of the best seasons of his career without him, Karim Benzema has really stepped up for the Spanish giants. His exploits in front of the goal were crucial as Real Madrid claimed the league title last season.
He has continued his goalscoring form in the break as well. He scored four goals in the preseason friendly against Getafe and looks set to challenge Lionel Messi for the Pichichi Trophy this term.
One surprising stat from Real Madrid's 2019-20 campaign was that defender Sergio Ramos was their second-best goal scorer with 11 goals, behind Benzema who had 21 goals.
So, it's clear that the Frenchman is being made to do most of the heavy lifting in the final third and if Madrid are to retain their league title they need others to step up and take the burden off the two-time Real Madrid Mahou Cinco Estrellas (Five Stars) Player-of-the-Season award winner .
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How Real Madrid could line up
Well, when talking about a club like Real Madrid, which has incredible depth, it is often the case that only a handful of players are guaranteed a starting spot. In the current situation, despite having a lot of options ,it is expected that Zidane will choose a familiar squad as the fringe players have not been up to the mark.
It is expected that the tried and tested 4-3-3 will be used by the French manager, with Hazard, Benzema, Ramos, Courtois, Casemiro, Kroos, Carvajal and Varane all expected to play the maximum minutes this term.
Martin Ødegaard will be the one to watch as his versatility will come in handy when Zidane would like to switch things up on the pitch. On the left-back we expect Ferland Mendy to give Marcelo a healthy competition and the duo will probably split the appearances between them.
Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon will likely depart by the end of this month and even after the departure of these two stars Real Madrid will still have a very strong squad.
