Real Madrid's Declining Midfield Which Badly Needs An Overhaul

Real Madrid's midfield combination is legendary. This is the same midfield combination that has won Real Madrid it's hat-trick champions league title. This combination is still one of the best, but not the best. Judging by some of the biggest and most important games for Real Madrid in the champions league in the last 2-3 seasons.

In this season, the last game that Madrid played in the round of 16 against PSG, PSG dominated the game the whole time and eventually won it by a very late Kylian Mbappe goal. The margin would have been bigger if not for the many misses by the Parisians. The main reason for PSG's dominance was that PSG's team was more energetic and faster than Real. Real had no answer in reply of this energetic, fast team with high intensity and quick transition. The same thing happened with Real Madrid last season. In the semi finals where they lost to Chelsea. The couldn't keep up with the energy and intensity of the Londoners led by the one and only N'golo Kante. Real struggled in the match on their right flank (which is the left of PSG), Carvaja and Assensio were helpless in front of the speed of Mbappe and Nuno Mendez. Real could only play on par with Paris through their left flank. Where Hakimi and Maria were battling it out against Vinicius and Mendy. The reason for the two type performances in the two wings is age and speed. Carvajal (30) and lost touched Assensio (26). And their opposite numbers are Nuno Mendez (19) and Mbappe (22). It only obvious that they should not be able to keep pace with them. On the other side, Hakimi (23) could match the rhythm of Vinicius (22) and Mendy (28), but Di Maria (34) couldn't kee up.

The same goes for the midfield battle. Modric (36), Kroos (32), Casemiro (29). Except for Casimiro, the other two are thirty plus. And the only PSG midfielder who is thirty plus is Danilo Pereira (30), who was primarily in the role of helping the defense. Paredes (26) and Verratti, who dominated Real Midfield alone, was 29 years old. Danilo helped the defense and Paredes had a decent game in the Volante role. But the legendary midfield of Kroos-Modric-Casemiro could not keep up with Veratti's pace. The same scenario was in the last champions league semifinal against Chelsea, with N'golo Kante's pace outclassing Real's legendary midfield in both legs. In the previous champions league, Man City's Energetic and Skillful Mid had to be outclassed twice, that too a few months apart. Although Casemiro Still is energetic, it is not possible for thirty plus Kroos or Modric to be as energetic as before. Real's legendary midfield is basically falling prey to the pace, with midfielders of decent ball playing ability beating Real's midfield with speed, and in turn dominating the whole Real Madrid team. Real have won most of their midfield battles in the 2-3 seasons are with the La Liga teams, with the declining Barcelona and and Atletico Madrid, and at the champions league with Inter Milan and against the "pressing dependent struggling but with fitness" Liverpool. But whenever they face champions league favorites like Man City, Chelsea, PSG - the real weakness comes out.

Real are accustomed to maintaining a level even if they do not get much success, they buy some good backup to maintain this level. Isco's form is down, Odegard didn't click. Again, Uruguayan Valvarde, French Camavinga are good prospects for future. They do not have the legend tag. But to get the level back, these youngsters should be readied and prioritized from now on. Thirty plus Legends will give a good hype before the match, but not in the result.