Thread by @josh_caldwell1

Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo analysis thread.

First time doing something like this so feedback is appreciated.

It was immediately clear the Real Madrid were setup in a 4-4-2 formation. Benzema was the main striker with Hazard playing off of him, while Vini Jr. and Fede Valverde were the outside midfielderss. I liked this formation because it allowed Vini to play in his preferred position

I was really impressed by Eden Hazard as he showed more of his old self. Here he demands the ball and then quickly turns his defender. Then makes an excellent run to earn a free kick in a dangerous area.

This is the sequence leading to Celta Vigo's first goal. Carvajal was inside and played it back to Courtois, who takes his touch to the left and is quickly closed by the striker. Celta were pressing high so it was 3v3 on the left side.

They still had a triangle to play out but unfortunately, Miguel took a bit too long on the ball and allowed himself to be closed down. He should have played it to Casemiro earlier to escape the press

Here, Modric drops deep into the RB position to get on the ball which allows Carvajal to push high and Fede to tuck in. This created an overload on the right side and a lot of options going forward. Real Madrid often dropped Casemiro or Modric into the backline in buildup

Casemiro drops into the backline and plays a great long ball to Carvajal. This season, Casemiro has been much more involved in the buildup play.

Vini Jr. is on another level this season. Playing with loads of confidence. He should be the first name on the team sheet every game.

This was another really good sequence in buildup. Modric drops into the LB position here and receives a smart layoff from Miguel which allows him to play a line breaking pass to Benzema.

Benzema played the ball back to Nacho and Modric immediately takes it and looks forward to find another line breaking pass to Fede.

I liked that Ancelotti gave Hazard the freedom to roam because I think it suits Hazard to take up positions everywhere on the pitch. In this sequence, Hazard drifts wide and plays off Vini. Fede does very well to find him. Hazard controls and drives forwards

He then links up with Vini for a one-two before firing a shot on target. Very positive play from Hazard.

More positives from Hazard as he anticipates the pass well and closes down to win the ball. He looks transformed from last season especially in terms of fitness.

Vini does really well to drive to the byline and cut it back into a dangerous area. Unfortunately, Hazard was slow to react, he should have scored.

A superb long ball from Courtois which almost created a 1v1 for Vini. Alert goalkeeping from Dituro.

On a quick break, Hazard peels out wide into space. Benzema finds him early. Hazard again looks positive and takes on his defender with confidence and gets off a good shot.

Casemiro again getting on the ball and playing a great ball over the top to Fede. Valverde does really well to knock it back to Benzema. After that there was only one outcome. Real Madrid 1 - 1 Celta Vigo. Excellent team play

Here Madrid get caught far too separated and create acres of space in between the lines. This allows Aspas to receive the ball and flick it wide into the space behind Miguel who was caught out. Celta then have a 3 on 2 attack. This type of defending is always punished. 2-1 Celta

This set piece was really well worked. A brilliant pass in behind from Modric. Unfortunate that it was marginally offside.

Madrid caught out again defensively which gave Celta a very good chance on the break. This happened a bit too often throughout the game and against the toughest opponents in champions league it will be exploited.

That concluded the first half and I think I'll stop the analysis there. Overall, I enjoyed the attacking combinations and play especially from Vini Jr. and Hazard in this game. However, defensively Madrid are a bit vulnerable which could prove costly in the long run.

There's no denying that this team are fun to watch, though, and I am happy with the progress so far.

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