How do you feel the first leg went from a tactical perspective? Has Carlo Ancelotti finally “figured out” Diego Simeone’s Atlético?
No, I don’t think he has. The reality of that first leg was that Real Madrid struggled to hold control without Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos. Eduardo Camavinga is still struggling to find his feet this season with injuries and poor decision-making. If anything, Atlético figured out Real Madrid more than vice versa: They recognized immediately that Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé, the first line of defense, can easily be by-passed with one pass splitting them. After that, Atleti had numerical advantage finding the right passing lanes behind the midfield. If Real Madrid are to prevent that, they need to be more compact defensively. Bellingham back should help with that.
Real Madrid CF v Rayo Vallecano - La Liga EA Sports Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images
The Madrid press seems at least a little worried over Kylian Mbappé’s form again, especially after the first leg of this tie. Do you share their concerns?
Not as much as others. Yes, he’s dipped since that hat-trick against Manchester City, but his body language looks way better than it did in the fall, and he can still have a moment (moments!) of genius in a big game if he’s not at his best. It really depends on how the second leg goes, but, I imagine at some point the game will open up which should suit Mbappé.
Mbappé and Vinícius weren’t at their best last Tuesday, but Brahim Díaz sure was. In light of his winning goal, do you feel Brahim has been properly valued by Madridistas since he returned from Milan?
Yes. I think everyone supporting the team and watching them regularly is fully aware of how awesome Brahim Díaz is. I mean, what a luxury that he could slide into the Jude Bellingham role against Atlético and play lights out. The best part about him is that his off-ball motor never stops. Even if he’s not dropping defenders on their butts, he works so hard defensively which makes him highly valuable. I imagine he goes back to the bench with Bellingham back now, but he’ll be another big asset in the second half when you need some energy.
Real Madrid C.F. v Atletico de Madrid - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 First Leg Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Raúl Asencio has rocketed to prominence this season, in spite of an ongoing off-field investigation. How are Real Madrid keeping him focused, especially after the chants he received at Real Sociedad recently?
I’m not sure what the answer to this is exactly. They had to take him off at half-time against Real Sociedad because the chants were affecting him. I’m not 100% sure what goes on behind the scenes, but likely the experience of defenders like Rüdiger can help. Truth is, Asencio has been nearly foot-perfect. I’m honestly amazed at how good he’s been. You’d expect young players to make mistakes. Asencio has barely put a foot wrong.
Real Madrid have not won at the Metropolitano since September 2022. A win is not required on Tuesday, but is there one detail Los Blancos must observe to secure their quarterfinal place?
If this was a league game, weirdly, I’d be far more worried. There are two things going for Real Madrid here despite how bad they are at this stadium: 1) They don’t need to win; and 2) They have the Champions League spell on Atlético — the mentality of these two teams changes a bit when they face each other in this tournament and not domestically. We had said it before the first leg multiple times: Real Madrid had to win the first leg. There’s no way they could go into the Metropolitano needing a result.
Your prediction, please.
Atletico Madrid 1 - 2 Real Madrid (4-2 agg). Real Madrid’s second goal comes at the end when Atlético are sending bodies forward.
You can listen to my preview podcast with Kiyan below, and followthis link to read my Q&A with Managing Madrid.