In his pre-game press conference ahead of Wednesday night’s clash between Liverpool and Real Madrid, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said Vinicius Jr’s injury will alter the way his side approach the game.
“Yes, definitely,” Slot said when asked if his plans changed after finding out Vinicius Jr was ruled out. “We approached it differently because a new player is going to play for them with different qualities. We knew when Vinicius would’ve started, I had to prepare them for him and [Kylian] Mbappe and all the others. But they are probably the main attacking threat for them. Now, with him not playing, we have to expect something else. I think he played almost every game for Madrid so it’s again quite difficult for us now to understand what we can expect. But what we do know what we can expect is 11 players with great quality and we try to prepare them in the best possible way. Will [Jude] Bellingham play as a 10? Will he play from the left? Will he play from the right? Will Endrick come in? Will [Arda] Guler start? They have so many options, which now is a bit more difficult for us to see what they’re going to do. If Vinicius would’ve been fit I think I’ve come up with their line-up, but now it is going to be a bit of a surprise for us maybe. But the thing we do know is that we play 11 great players in a very good team.”
Vinicius Jr isn’t the only Real Madrid played sidelined. Far from it. But given he’s the best player in the world, his absence is the most significant.
Yet, as great as the Brazilian is, it shouldn’t have been this worrying to navigate games without him. Kylian Mbappe was signed, in part, for moments like this. Having the luxury of still having Mbappe on the left wing when Vinicius is out, is, umm, insane.
But it hasn’t played out that way. Mbappe’s struggles this season have been well documented.
If the theory is correct that he needs to play on the left wing to excel, he will have no greater opportunity than the immediate slate of games, where Real Madrid will be without both Vinicius and Rodyrgo.
Vinicius is one of the highest usage players in Europe. Everything goes through him. With him out of the line-up, more touches free up for Mbappe to take on a more alpha role in attack.
“He gets some criticism, but it’s over the top,” Jude Bellingham said in today’s pre-game presser. “When I see him in training, I’m convinced he’ll do even better.”
It’s clear that Mbappe has not lost his talent, but it is clear he is carrying a mental load which has hindered him from being at his confident peak in games.
I’m skeptical Mbappe’s funk is down to positioning. He has been getting good opportunities on the left wing and left half space all season — both within his comfort zone — and has looked zapped of confidence. It will be interesting to see how he navigates the upcoming stretch without Vinicius.
Just as interesting as Mbappe now playing on the left wing will be who he’ll be paired with. There were little hints given away in today’s training session and press conference.
As dire as it is to be without both Vinicius and Rodrygo in attack, Ancelotti, oddly, has multiple new options open to him: He can push Bellingham back into an advanced role, though the dominoes of that would mean the likelihood of Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos starting in midfield together — unless Lucas Vazquez is expedited so that Fede Valverde can assume his nominal midfield role.
Alternatively Ancelotti can field both Arda Güler and Brahim Diaz up top, with Brahim playing a pseudo false nine role. Both Güler and Ceballos are coming off great cameos against Leganes, while Modric comes in well rested. Is there a chance Endrick sneaks into the attack as a curveball? Doubtful — but this situation increases the likelihood of him coming off the bench.
“The team is doing well,” Ancelotti said today. “We’ve improved, we’re more solid. Now we have a very demanding team in front of us. It’s a great opportunity to get back to our best. I am confident that it will be a great game. We will be competitive.”
