Three at the back by Ancelotti at Everton and how it would appear at Real Madrid
In the 2020–21 league season, Carlo Ancelotti's Everton played 10 games with three center-backs. Here, we talk about what can happen if Carlo decides to try the experiment again at Real Madrid.
With the addition of Antonio Rudiger, one of the frequently asked issues has been if Real Madrid can abandon their successful 4-3-3 formation and revert to a three-man backline. Real Madrid is unlikely to transition to a three-man backline considering the team's success and consistency with four at the back, is the obvious and most reasonable answer to that. However, if there is even a remote possibility that Ancelotti may consider trying out three center-backs,
*In the ten games under consideration, Everton had four victories, including a renowned 2-0 triumph over Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, four draws, and two losses to Chelsea and Leeds United. His top choices for the three center-back positions were Ben Godfrey (right), Yerry Mina (middle), and Michael Keane (left). The fullback positions were dominated by Seamus Coleman and Alex Iwobi on the right; Lucas Digne and Fabian Delph on the left. When playing with three defenders in the back, this Everton team would often line up in a 3-4-3 configuration. The 3-5-2 configuration, which was more associated with his countryman Antonio Conte, was the only other version that Ancelotti explored. According to the touch map for the Everton team, the three center-backs' vertical channels saw the most touches (beyond their area). Now, if we hypothetically want to apply this to Real Madrid, Carlo has David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger, two of the top center-backs in the world in terms of on-ball prowess. Alaba, Militao, and Rudiger as a potential back-three are a match made in heaven, notwithstanding the likelihood of their inclusion.
Alaba, Militao, and Rudiger can form a versatile back three.For ball progression, you have Alaba and Rudiger; for stepping out to a surging opponent, all three are great; for aerial dominance, you have Militao and Rudiger. Real Madrid currently has an enviable defensive core for a team that historically is all about playing flamboyant, offensive football.
Everton’s top three passing clusters when they played with back-three formations are all in the flanks. That’s actually not exclusive to Everton. All Carlo Ancelotti teams like to overload and switch flanks to create space. The same approach already exists at Real Madrid.
It appears while playing with a back-three, Ancelotti’s Everton played a lot of long balls from their own half and with relatively good efficiency. This is where Real Madrid can possibly be more adventurous given that players like Alaba, Rudiger, Kroos, Tchouameni, and even Casemiro all have a good long ball in their arsenal. Madrid doesn’t use it often but with a back-three, it could be vital.
The following hypothetical Real Madrid lineup with a back-three would most likely look like this. With minor tweaks to how high Fede Valverde is used, this may easily change from a 3-4-3 formation to a 3-5-2 formation. The current Real Madrid midfield squad is so well-equipped that it would be exciting to watch any possible combination.
In a back-three configuration, who would make up your ideal Real Madrid starting lineup? Three at the back by Ancelotti at Everton and how it would appear at Real Madrid
In the 2020–21 league season, Carlo Ancelotti's Everton played 10 games with three center-backs. Here, we talk about what can happen if Carlo decides to try the experiment again at Real Madrid.
With the addition of Antonio Rudiger, one of the frequently asked issues has been if Real Madrid can abandon their successful 4-3-3 formation and revert to a three-man backline. Real Madrid is unlikely to transition to a three-man backline considering the team's success and consistency with four at the back, is the obvious and most reasonable answer to that. However, if there is even a remote possibility that Ancelotti may consider trying out three center-backs,
*In the ten games under consideration, Everton had four victories, including a renowned 2-0 triumph over Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, four draws, and two losses to Chelsea and Leeds United. His top choices for the three center-back positions were Ben Godfrey (right), Yerry Mina (middle), and Michael Keane (left). The fullback positions were dominated by Seamus Coleman and Alex Iwobi on the right; Lucas Digne and Fabian Delph on the left. When playing with three defenders in the back, this Everton team would often line up in a 3-4-3 configuration. The 3-5-2 configuration, which was more associated with his countryman Antonio Conte, was the only other version that Ancelotti explored. According to the touch map for the Everton team, the three center-backs' vertical channels saw the most touches (beyond their area). Now, if we hypothetically want to apply this to Real Madrid, Carlo has David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger, two of the top center-backs in the world in terms of on-ball prowess. Alaba, Militao, and Rudiger as a potential back-three are a match made in heaven, notwithstanding the likelihood of their inclusion.
Alaba, Militao, and Rudiger can form a versatile back three.For ball progression, you have Alaba and Rudiger; for stepping out to a surging opponent, all three are great; for aerial dominance, you have Militao and Rudiger. Real Madrid currently has an enviable defensive core for a team that historically is all about playing flamboyant, offensive football.
Everton’s top three passing clusters when they played with back-three formations are all in the flanks. That’s actually not exclusive to Everton. All Carlo Ancelotti teams like to overload and switch flanks to create space. The same approach already exists at Real Madrid.
It appears while playing with a back-three, Ancelotti’s Everton played a lot of long balls from their own half and with relatively good efficiency. This is where Real Madrid can possibly be more adventurous given that players like Alaba, Rudiger, Kroos, Tchouameni, and even Casemiro all have a good long ball in their arsenal. Madrid doesn’t use it often but with a back-three, it could be vital.
The following hypothetical Real Madrid lineup with a back-three would most likely look like this. With minor tweaks to how high Fede Valverde is used, this may easily change from a 3-4-3 formation to a 3-5-2 formation. The current Real Madrid midfield squad is so well-equipped that it would be exciting to watch any possible combination.
In a back-three configuration, who would make up your ideal Real Madrid starting lineup?
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