This weekend, Real Madrid will host Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium and with both teams currently playing some absolutely brilliant football in La Liga, this one is bound to be one cracker of a game.
Of course, the hosts are slight favourites going into the clash but even though the Galacticos are formidable within their own fortress, La Real have been quite a revelation this season and an upset could very well be on the cards.
This tactical analysis preview will look ahead to the game and try and predict both team’s playstyles as well as giving an analysis of their expected tactics.
Real Madrid’s approach
Going into this game, there are two main aspects that Zinedine Zidane’s men will want to utilise in their tactics of overcoming a rampant Real Sociedad team. La Real usually defend with an aggressive press – which we will explain further down the line of this tactical analysis preview – and overcoming that press will be absolutely crucial for Los Blancos.
The second aspect that might make or break the game is their ability to isolate and exploit their wide areas, particularly the left-wing where Eden Hazard is more likely than not to start the game. Of course, a lot of it will hinge on the key battle we’ll also address a bit later between two contrasting but equally exciting young players.
Let’s see how exactly can Zidane’s men avoid being pressed by Real Sociedad. Maybe the best example of that can be seen in how they’ve handled Eibar, who are one of the best pressing sides in La Liga with 8.67 passes allowed per defensive action.
When the opposition presses high with numbers, it’s key to always keep passing channels open with multiple options always present to your players. Against Eibar, Real Madrid managed to form triangles or diamonds in their build-up play, successfully and quickly progressing the ball.
We can see an example above as Real Madrid drop players deeper but position them at different platforms on the pitch so they can play out of the press. What is important to notice as the action unfolds is that Benzema will often position himself out wide so that Hazard can then cut inside into the left half-space.
But with the Frenchman drifting out of his position, it often pulls the markers away and creates space. Once Hazard is given so much space and time on the ball, as can be seen in the following example, he can exploit it perfectly.
