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Despite the heavy investment into rebuilding their squad, it has been a topsy-turvy campaign for Real Madrid so far in pre-season.
Los Blancos have played five warm-up matches till date, but have won just one in 90 minutes, with their other pre-season victory over Arsenal coming through penalties.
This is far from the preparation they would have had in mind, given their disappointing displays last season. But for all of their shortcomings so far in pre-season, it must be remembered that these matches are nothing more than glorified friendlies and have next to no impact on the outcome of the season proper.
The current Real Madrid squad is replete with world class talented footballers, who are more than capable of mounting a real charge on all fronts next season, and the major conundrum for Zinedine Zidane would be getting the proper balance and the right formation to bring out the best from his players.
Real Madrid would be seeking to re-stake their claim to being the best team in the world, and a key precursor to this would be getting it right tactically.
While Zidane holds the exclusive right to make all decisions concerning player appearances and tactical formations, in this piece, we shall attempt to forecast Real Madrid’s ideal starting XI heading into next season.
Goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois
Zidane is a firm Keylor Navas advocate, given all that the Costa Rican international has helped him achieve; however, the odds are heavily stacked in Thibaut Courtois’ favor to be the club’s number one next season.
Indeed, there was speculation earlier in the summer that Navas could be on his way to Porto, but the 32-year-old is likely to spend the next season as an understudy to Courtois.
The Belgian international departed Chelsea in acrimonious circumstances to complete his ‘dream’ move to Real Madrid last summer, but he had a less than ideal debut campaign at the Bernabeu, watching on helplessly as the club’s season descended into chaos.
Courtois would be hoping for a much improved second season, and more than has enough ability to play a huge role in the coming season as on his day, he ranks among the very best in the business when it comes to goalkeeping.
Defence
Left-back - Marcelo
There were a whole lot of underperforming Real Madrid players last season, but none was arguably worse than Marcelo, with things reaching such lows that the Brazilian international had to publicly apologize for his subpar displays.
Given his decline in recent years, a case could be made for his drop from the starting lineup, but it must be remembered that he is the current vice-captain of the squad, while also having the full trust of his manager.
The fact that the club were willing to let young upstart Sergi Reguilon leave on loan to Sevilla rather than sell Marcelo shows that he still retains the confidence of Zidane.
Indeed, the man who was expected to challenge Marcelo for the starting spot at left-back Ferland Mendy suffered an unfortunate injury during pre-season which did not give him an opportunity to stake a claim for his place.
Left Centre-back - Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane is the perfect foil for Sergio Ramos at the heart of defense, as whereas his partner is known for his rashness and physicality, the French international rather goes about his business in a calmer and arguably more effective way.
With over 300 top level professional matches and 17 major honors won, Varane is one of the most experienced defenders in the world, despite being just 26, and having given performances that belie his age throughout his Real Madrid career, the World Cup winner can be counted upon to give it a go once again.
Right Centre-back - Sergio Ramos
A case could be made for Sergio Ramos to be considered as the most hated player in the world, but even detractors would have to admit that his over the top antics come from a deep rooted desire to win at all cost which is what separates greatness from mediocrity.
When it comes to great defenders, there is arguably none better than Ramos in his generation, and having seen and won it all in his playing career, he has every right to consider himself as one of the greatest to ever represent Real Madrid.
The 32-year-old initially started his career as a flair right-back, but was converted into a central defender by Jose Mourinho and it is a position he has taken to with aplomb, captaining Real Madrid through the most successful period in their modern history.
Right-back - Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal has been a mainstay on the right flank of Real Madrid’s defence ever since returning to the club after a one-year spell at Bayer Leverkusen in 2013.
He has played over 200 games in all competitions for Los Blancos and has been an integral part of all of the club's successes in the last five years, with his pin-point crossing ability and pristine overlapping runs proving to be an invaluable part of Zidane's attacking arsenal.
Though he has been plagued by injury concerns of late, there are few better right-backs than Carvajal in the world, and Zidane would be hoping he retains his fitness to help the club's ascendancy back to the summit.
Midfield
Defensive Midfield - Casemiro
Having played a starring role as Brazil won their ninth Copa America trophy, Casemiro would return to the Bernabeu full of confidence and raring to go.
The 27-year-old has been tasked with the responsibility of winning back possession and containing the defensive lapses of his more attack minded teammates over the years, and with the addition of even more forward thinking players to the Real Madrid squad, Casemiro would have his work cut out for him next season.
Nevertheless, judging by his displays throughout his career, the former Porto man is up to the task.
Central Midfield - Toni Kroos
There is arguably no better passer of the ball than Toni Kroos at Real Madrid, and the German's pristine ball distribution would once more come to the fore next season.
Though he might have performed significantly beneath his usual standards last season, Kroos could hardly be faulted for that as he was just one of virtually a whole squad of players that underperformed.
The coming season would give Kroos a chance to redeem his image as well as more defensive work in providing extra cover for Casemiro and the back four.
Forward
Left-Wing Forward - Eden Hazard
After seven seasons of stellar performances for Chelsea, Eden Hazard finally completed his long awaited move to Real Madrid earlier in the summer.
The 28-year-old is a bonafide superstar and one of the best players in the world, so few would begrudge him for departing Chelsea, as his ambitions had overgrown those of the Londoners with all due respect to the club.
Real Madrid offer a platform for Hazard to take his game to the next level and stake a real claim for the Ballon d'Or, but whether that would happen remains to be seen.
Supporting Striker - Luka Jovic
Luka Jovic arrived at Real Madrid earlier in the summer in a €60 million deal off the back of his displays last season which saw him fire Frankfurt to the semi-finals of the Europa League.
The 21-year-old scored 27 goals in all competitions for Frankfurt in his breakout campaign, and his versatility means that he can be deployed anywhere across the front line.
However, it is pertinent to note that his best returns came when he played off Sebastian Haller as a supporting striker, as his excellent holdup play and linkup ability means he excels as the foil for the main striker.
It is a role he would be best deployed in at Real Madrid, as it is the only formation which would see him played together with Karim Benzema while also starring Hazard in his favorite position.
Right-Wing Forward - Gareth Bale
This is a rather curious choice given that less than a month ago, Zidane made it explicitly clear that the sooner Gareth Bale left Real Madrid, the better for everyone.
Chinese Super League outfit Jiangsiu Suning almost made the Frenchman's wish come through when they were willing to make the former Tottenham man the second-highest paid player in the world, but Real Madrid quashed the deal at the last moment.
Given Bale's huge wages, it is probably only Premier League clubs that can afford him at this moment, but with less than 48 hours to go until the window shuts in England, a move back to the land of the Queen looks highly improbable.
With each passing day, it is looking increasingly likely that Bale would remain a Real Madrid player next season and while that is less than an ideal situation for both parties, it is the card that fate dealt them.
If Bale remains at the Bernabeu, it is imperative that both he and Zidane cast aside their differences for at least one season and work together to achieve their common goal.
Make no mistake about it, the job at hand for Real Madrid is huge, and since the goals of the club rank above any petty squabbles, all hands must be on deck to get the club back to where it belongs.
Beyond his injury problems and seeming indifference to the Real Madrid cause, Bale is one of the best players in the world.
For starters, he is one of the most experienced forwards at the club, and Zidane needs all the experience he can mop up next season.
Secondly, Hazard would occupy the left slot of attack, and any other winger who would complement him on the other flank would need to be left footed to properly function n the inverted winger role.
The only other player who fits the bill is Marco Asensio, but the long-term injury suffered by the Spanish international has ruled him out, leaving Bale as the prime candidate.
Every other option is either right-footed or extremely young and inexperienced, thus it makes no sense for Zidane to leave Bale out if he remains a Real Madrid player next season.
Centre-Forward - Karim Benzema
When Cristiano Ronaldo departed for Juventus from Real Madrid, the extra goalscoring burden was placed upon Karim Benzema and there were many, yours faithfully included who did not believe that the Frenchman had what it took to lead Real Madrid's line.
However, the 31-year-old defied all expectations, putting in one of his best performances in recent memory to score 30 goals in all competitions and end the season as Real Madrid's best player.
Heading into his 11th season with Los Blancos, Benzema is one of the most experienced members of the squad, with only Sergio Ramos and Marcelo having a longer affiliation with the Santiago Bernabeu, and Zidane would be expecting a similar level of performance to last season from the former Lyon man.
