That First Half Haunts Me

Watching Real Madrid’s disjointed first half was like seeing Shakespeare performed by mimes - all the right elements present but none of the coordination. Ancelotti’s experiment with Trent Alexander-Arnold as an inverted fullback in what resembled a 3-4-3 (but felt more like organized chaos) left Rodrygo stranded at wingback and Vinicius starving for service. The ‘offside goal’ they conceded? Pure systemic failure - Arnold caught between roles like a tourist reading a metro map upside down.

Half-Time Alchemy

The introduction of Arda Güler changed everything. Suddenly Bellingham could drift into his natural #10 role instead of firefighting in midfield. Watching Dani Carvajal morph from center-back to overlapping fullback after the break was like watching someone remember they’re left-handed. And while Vinicius still seemed to be playing in last season’s boots, those darting runs behind when paired with Rodrygo showed why Mbappe’s arrival might create more problems than solutions.

The Arnold Conundrum

Here’s my spicy take: Liverpool’s system made Arnold look better than he is defensively. At Madrid, without Henderson covering like a mother duck herding ducklings, his positioning lapses become glaring. When you’ve got Camavinga having to cover two positions simultaneously, something’s fundamentally broken. The solution? Either play him as a traditional fullback or not at all - this hybrid role only works with very specific personnel.

Reasons for Optimism

1. Midfield Balance: Güler + Tchouaméni showed glimpses of being Modrić + Casemiro 2.0
2. Defensive Stability: Rüdiger’s return will stop opponents treating our box like an Airbnb
3. Bellingham’s Versatility: His late runs into the box remain Madrid’s most potent weapon

The Bernabéu faithful shouldn’t panic yet - this draw exposed flaws that are fixable, not fatal. As I told my producer while editing this piece: ‘The ingredients for success are there; Ancelotti just needs to stop trying to make fusion cuisine.’