Real Madrid - Barcelona: Federico Valverde, the X factor for Ancelotti in matches like El Classico

Surely we all remember the famous Real Madrid of the galacticos before their period of decline. It was a unique team, not only because of the players they fielded every game (Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, Raul, Beckham...), but also because they had an asymmetrical tactical scheme thanks to a player who stood out physically from the rest. At that time it was Roberto Carlos, the (for many) best left-back in history and who, with his play, performed defensive duties, but who meant that his team could play without a left winger as such because the Brazilian was able to get into attacking positions in the blink of an eye. "It's as if they were playing with 12 players," it was said in those days at the Madrid club.

Quite a few years have passed since that time, but as history is cyclical, the Real Madrid of 2022 has an equivalent to the versatile player from Sao Paulo. We are talking about Federico Valverde (24), the player previously nicknamed "El pajarito", but who has evolved and is now "El halcon". With the Uruguayan, Ancelotti has made the classic discussion about whether his team should play with a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 forget, because thanks to his style of play, Los Merengues can play with both tactical formations as it suits them in the course of a match. 

His versatility is the key

Much was said in the summer about the lack of a skilful right winger in the team presided over by Florentino Perez, given that Rodrygo, who sometimes occupies that position, does not seem to be entirely comfortable on the right but prefers to play on the inside or even on the left wing, where his compatriot Vinicius is the master and lord, and other players like Asensio or Hazard do not get many minutes and do not usually take advantage of the ones they do get. 

For this reason, in important matches, the Italian coach opts to put the Charrua in that position to fulfil a double or even triple function: to help cover the right-back, to be an extra midfielder when his team needs him and to join the attack thanks to his power and speed. This is how Los Blancos played most of the matches in last season's frenetic Champions League play-offs, where the Montevideo native was decisive and, proof of this, was his role in the final against Liverpool, where he was a titan on the right front helping to stop the English attacks and, at the right moment, he dropped into the attack to provide the pass for the decisive goal to help Real Madrid win their fourteenth title.

In addition, to his versatile and committed play, he has added this season something he lacked in previous years and which is the most important thing: goals. If in the 2021-2022 season he could only score one goal in 46 games, he has already surpassed that figure by far in the two months of competition that have been played this season, in which he has already scored four goals in 13 games. Ancelotti knows what he has in his hands and will certainly try to use him against Xavi this coming Sunday.