“What we Learned”A new post-game piece from Managing Madrid with key takeaways or narrative shifts following each match. It will be a quick-hitting format: 3-4 clear lessons or learnings, with short intros and focused analysis. Balance between tactical depth and digestibility.
Fede Valverde Unchained
After the Al Hilal game, where Fede was forced into a lone pivot role in the second half, I made the argument that his long-term fit for this squad may be as a defensive midfielder. What happened next? He started against Pachuca as a right winger, then played as a two-way double pivot against Salzburg, and finally as an advanced #8 against Juventus.
Xabi Alonso has more than one Swiss Army knife in his squad, and Fede is clearly one of them. Expect to see him used in multiple roles based on the needs of each match.
Against Juventus, Fede was free of any shackles, Xabi gave him full license to crash the box and let fly. He recorded a career high for touches in the box, his most key passes in a match over the past three years, and tripled his average shot output.
Whether it’s right back, right wing, pivot, double 6, or attacking midfielder — it doesn’t matter. Fede Valverde is essential to this Real Madrid team. I made the case for lone pivot Fede; now I say give us more of the unchained.
The Trent Experience - Where Do We Stand?
It’s hard to properly gauge the Trent Alexander-Arnold experience so far. There’s no question he leaves space behind him and struggles to recover in transition. His 1v1 defending is serviceable but far from elite. But we knew this. Everyone knows the trade-offs with Trent.
So, are the pros outweighing the cons?
Too early to say definitively, but we’re starting to see glimpses of what he offers: the first-time pass against Pachuca to provide a “pre-assist,” the dagger pass into the box for Gonzalo, the backheel to Bellingham down the right flank vs Salzburg, and last night’s weighted cross to Gonzalo to break the deadlock.
There’s more to come. Like Marcelo, Casemiro, and other major “trade-off” players before him, the pros often outweigh the cons.
Xabi made an interesting point after the match:
“When Trent comes up from the right, we have to give him a close connection, so he can link up easily. He’s not a player who goes solo and dribbles, and too often we are leaving him very alone in those actions. He is forced to play backwards without risk because there is no one close by. So we have to adjust as a collective, so that someone goes to those areas to combine well with Trent, which is his greatest strength.”
Trent is like a modern-day David Beckham. Becks wasn’t going to beat a defender off the dribble like a traditional winger, but if you gave him time and space to lift his head and find a pass, he was devastating. Trent needs options around him to combine and free himself — then he’ll play the killer ball.
Tactically a Work in Progress
The 3-5-2 at the start of the match simply didn’t work. Credit to Xabi for recognizing that quickly and pushing Tchouameni higher to partner Arda in midfield. Alonso doesn’t wait to make changes — he’s hyper-reactive and adjusts immediately when something’s not working. It’s a breath of fresh air.
Maybe at some point the constant tinkering will become tiring, but for now, it’s what this team needs.
Despite the good results and clear momentum, there’s still plenty to improve. Press conference after press conference, Xabi has emphasized the importance of the collective and “reducing the space between players.” He’ll be disappointed with what he saw in the early stages of the Juve game. The gaps between midfield and defense were huge, giving players like Yıldız the freedom to receive, turn, and run at a retreating backline.
If Kolo Muani had converted his early chip, or if Yıldız’s long-range missile wasn’t tipped by Thibaut’s fingertips, Madrid would’ve been in a massive hole. The further they go in this competition, the more those mistakes will be punished.
Wait, We Are Finally Good At Set Pieces Again?
The image of Lucas Vazquez stepping up for key corners and free kicks in crunch-time minutes is burned into the minds of Madrid fans. It became a symbolic image of a season gone wrong. Lucas has many virtues and has been a reliable squad player over a decade with the club, but he’s never been a set-piece specialist.
Now, with Arda and Trent sharing set-piece duties, and with added height from Huijsen, Rudiger, Tchouameni, and Gonzalo’s aerial presence, Madrid are finally a real threat on dead balls. It’s another dimension to this team that could easily be worth 6+ points across a season