With seven minutes to go in their opening Champions League game against Stuttgart, victory was slipping away from Real Madrid.
Deniz Undav’s effort had cancelled out Kylian Mbappe’s opener at the Santiago Bernabeu — his first for Madrid in the competition — and it looked to be going down to the wire. That was when Antonio Rudiger rose higher than anyone to head home a corner.
The German’s team-mates rushed over to him, with substitute Endrick and Eder Militao giving him a few playful slaps — Rudiger regularly does the same to other players when they score, so this was a form of revenge.
Madrid went on to win 3-1 thanks to an Endrick effort from distance that Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nubel failed to hold. But what the game really highlighted was Madrid’s over-reliance in defence on Rudiger and his centre-back partner Militao.
“It was a more complicated game than the result makes it seem,” said sources within the coaching staff, who — like all those cited in this article — asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships.
To trace how Madrid got here, you have to return to club captain Nacho’s exit to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah this summer. After stepping up on several occasions when players were missing last season, it left a hole in the squad.
Rafa Marin, a promising centre-back who was on loan at Deportivo Alaves, was then sold to Napoli for €12million with an option to buy. But the biggest blow was when Los Blancos missed out on their main summer target — Lille centre-back Leny Yoro, who joined Manchester United instead.
That ended any realistic hopes of bringing in a defensive reinforcement, much to coach Carlo Ancelotti’s frustration. The Italian talked to the club about the possibility of bringing in Aymeric Laporte from Saudi side Al Nassr, but without success given the financial complexity of any deal.
In Nacho’s absence, Ancelotti only has two senior centre-backs apart from Rudiger: Militao, who returned from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in May, and Jesus Vallejo, who is back from his fifth loan spell away at Granada and hasn’t played more than 12 games in a season for Madrid.
David Alaba should have been the other option at the back, but he ruptured his ACL last season and had to undergo another knee surgery earlier this year. Sources close to the Austrian player are hopeful he will be available again in December.
The lack of options led to Madrid taking three academy centre-backs on their pre-season tour of the United States: Raul Asencio, Jacobo Ramon and Joan Martinez. The 17-year-old Martinez was the most impressive — but then he suffered an ACL injury in training in August, which has ruled him out for the season.
Ramon, 19, was the other option that most convinced the club, but he too suffered a muscular injury at the start of the season. For now, Ancelotti and Co can’t count on him — so they have turned to players in other positions.
The first alternative has always been Aurelien Tchouameni, the midfielder who played more than 10 games last season at centre-back and performed well. Since the end of last season, coaching-staff sources said they would continue to use the Frenchman in that role if they needed him.
Against Stuttgart, it was right-back Dani Carvajal who filled in, as he did during an injury crisis last term.
“I played in two games (as a centre-back) last season and I have maximum availability,” Carvajal told a press conference before the game. “Wherever I play, whatever the coach decides will be fine.” But sources close to him do not think he is keen on playing there.
“I wanted to put Tchouameni in the middle because I think we need solidity there,” Ancelotti told reporters in his pre-game media appearance. “Carvajal has no problem anywhere, he will do well at centre-back.”
The Italian left Militao on the bench to start with after he suffered a knock three days earlier in Madrid’s win against Real Sociedad. But Stuttgart had two big chances after kick-off — Sebastian Hoeness’ side had the better of first-half possession (54 per cent), four shots on target and nine in total. Ancelotti couldn’t wait for a goal from the visitors, so introduced Militao for Lucas Vazquez at half-time and moved Carvajal back to his usual position on the right.
“I changed only because the defenders had a lot of duels because (Stuttgart) put in a lot of balls from the goalkeeper,” said Ancelotti. “Because Lucas had a card I preferred to take the risk away and put on a player without a card, which was Militao. But Carvajal has done well defensively like Lucas. Offensively, he (Vazquez) could have done better from the back.”
Madrid finished with 20 shots and eight on target to Stuttgart’s 17 and seven respectively. But Courtois had to make six saves, which worried the coaching staff given it has become a trend since the start of the season.
They know the team has more attacking potential than last year after the signings of Mbappe and Endrick and say the idea is to “generate a lot” while rivals “generate little”.
But Madrid still haven’t found he defensive stability they had last season and haven’t been helped by their injury problems.
In the Bernabeu’s mixed zone, Rudiger was asked whether there was a need for another centre-back.
“That’s a question you have to ask other people, it’s not my job,” he said. “If I have to play everything, if I’m happy, I’ll play, no problem. We all know there are a lot of games and everything… but man, I love playing for Madrid and if I have to play with one leg, I’ll do it.”
Ancelotti won’t go that far, given he said that he would rotate the central defenders after Madrid’s win against Real Sociedad. But, without any signings and until Alaba’s return, they will have to continue to improvise.
(Top photo by Maria Jimenez/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
