This is not the first time Zidane has made us believe things are going south only to end up finding the French coach north. If there is one thing I figured Zidane is good at in his brief coaching career, it is staying unpredictable and I can barely find a tool as effective and appropriate for a coach’s usage than that. Virtually everyone would attach Zidane’s successful first stint at Real Madrid to luck and the availability of Cristiano Ronaldo but not giving him credit for managing the much ego in the squad, staying unpredictable and finding out a formation that best suits his players is heartless and disrespectful.
The return of Zidane has seen Real Madrid’s record worsen, from the moment he collected the baton from Santiago Solari towards the end of last season to this current day, he has amassed enemies calling for his resignation and people already doubting his ability to lead the team.
Real Madrid have looked very much out of sorts since Zidane’s return up until now, failing to win three out of three preseason matches under 90 minutes despite playing with the omission of one starter in Casemiro. It goes without doubt that Casemiro is a very vital part of the team and the team suffers without him but a team of Real Madrid’s calibre was or is supposed to have a quality replacement for each player and that is where Marcos Llorente comes in but Zidane stood and watched if at all he wasn’t the instigator as the young and promising Spaniard was sold off to close rivals, Atletico Madrid. Enough benefits of doubts has been handed to the French coach and just when it became apparent the patience of fans is wearing thin, Real Madrid won a match albeit against a lowly rated team like Fernabache but that win didn’t stop mouths from spitting fire on the French coach. Real Madrid despite winning that match and scoring five goals conceived three and the leaky defence issue that has been the team’s major problem was brought to the fore again.
Next with Casemiro and Eder Militao’s return from break, the team’s strength increased and we were expecting to witness another win from Real against Salzburg of Austria but what we ended up getting exceeded our expectations.
Zidane rolled out a 3-5-2 formation that looks more like a 3-4-1-2 with Eder Militao, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane partnering each other in central defence, Marcelo and Carvajal deployed as wing backs in their left and right positions respectively. Toni Kroos and Casemiro deployed as double pivot while Isco comfortably sat behind Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard who both led the frontline.
As early as the third minute Benzema showed exactly which kinda boot he wore for the match and it was the kind that ends up leaving the team goal less as he missed a glorious chance to open the scoring before Hazard showed him how it should be done in the 19th minute. The match would end with that single first half strike from Eden but so many positives were to be taken from the match. The likes of this formation likely to be Zidane’s master plan because it brings solidity and effectiveness both in attack and defence provided the players are willing to give their all and it also provides Hazard with the opportunity to do his Hazard thing.
Few saw it coming and only few knew Zidane has perfectly done the sketching and knew players who would fit into that particular formation but Zidane will always be Zidane won’t he? For a while, the French coach has shut the mouth of critics again.
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