In the 2021-22 season, Brazilian youngster Vinicius played a refreshing performance at Real Madrid, and the player's shortcomings that have been criticized in the past for their low ball quotient and lack of knowing how to handle the ball seem to have all been improved, and at one point he and Benzema occupied the top of the La Liga goal assist list. However, in the second half of the season, everything seemed to change again.
Real Madrid's offensive firepower in the second half of the season was woefully inadequate, and we saw Vinicius's breakthrough less and less, with the team's attacking focus tilted to the right side of Asensio, but the effect was difficult to satisfy.
Even if we win, we basically can only see Real Madrid win the game with a small score of 1-0, and most of it is in the last ten or twenty minutes of the game, which is obviously not a normal picture for Ancelotti, who is known for his ability to mediate attacks.
In the just-concluded 26th round of La Liga, Real Madrid scored in the 83rd minute, winning 1-0 against Rayo Vallecano. Looking at the results alone, it is naturally a good thing to take all three points, but if you watch the whole game, you are likely to ask a question: Why has Real Madrid's offensive means become so simple?
Pulling, crossing, pulling, crossing, the whole game has been repeating this process, as if they only crossed, and the ball has been developed all the way to Asensio's right, but Vinicius, who is good at breaking through with the ball, has not been able to get the ball.
In fact, as can be seen from the first few games, Real Madrid always rely on Asensio's long-range shot from outside the box in the final stages, and Ancelotti seems to rely on this foot for a long-range shot.
The reason behind this is likely not because you want to focus on the right side of the training, to avoid the lack of firepower in the absence of Vinicius, but because the left side may really not be alive, so you have to focus on the right side.
After the national team match day, Vinicius's form declined, Benzema also suffered some minor injuries, is this left road really like the beginning of the season? Not really.
Now Real Madrid is 9 points ahead of second place Sevilla, this point difference is actually not big, not enough for Ancelotti to train at will, and if you want to train, then why do you have to start the ceremony three midfielders?
In the Champions League match against Paris, Mbappe single-handedly broke through the Real Madrid goal in the final moments, in stark contrast to Vinicius's almost zero breakthrough in the whole game, even if the player's value and performance have risen very fast, but there is still a long way to go before he becomes a superstar.
Asensio is only a temporary reliance on as a last resort, the 34-year-old Benzema is old and strong but will eventually get old, and the attacking firepower of this Real Madrid is indeed insufficient, and the real change will have to wait until the introduction of reinforcements in the summer window this year.