Real Madrid collapses and four major players are empty! Mbappe s impact system is imbalanced, Barcelona counterattacks and takes La Liga

officially announced: Real Madrid is no longer the champion of Spain, their La Liga crown will belong to Barcelona - the Catalans locked in the league after defeating Espanyol on Friday. But Real Madrid not only fell next to the domestic throne, they will also face a situation where all four major players are gone at the end of the season. Although the victory of the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup last year was a delight and the Club World Cup could still be won this summer, the events Real Madrid really longed to win had already passed them in the 2024-25 season.

Twelve months ago, this situation was unimaginable. When Ancelotti led this team with great talent to achieve the La Liga-Champions League double championship, Real Madrid opened a new era of dominance by signing Mbappe. With the addition of Brazilian prodigy Enderick, it is hard to imagine which team can challenge the lineup Florentino has built at the Bernabeu in paper strength.

However, football is not a piece of paper, and Real Madrid has struggled from the beginning of this season. They have flashed their best in La Liga and Champions League, but were eventually completely suppressed at a critical moment. Although the personal talent of Real Madrid players is unquestionable, people soon discovered that the team has deep flaws, which led to a forgotten season in Madrid - Ancelotti also paid the price for the coaching position.

So who should be responsible for this? How will Xavi Alonso solve the stubborn disease that has plagued Real Madrid in the past nine months? The following is an analysis of the root causes of the collapse of the Galaxy Battleship.

Mbappe's shock wave

When Real Madrid finally dug Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain after several years, fans and experts generally made two predictions: Mbappe would contribute a large number of goals to the Galaxy battleship, but his joining may have a negative impact on others, and these two points are now confirmed.

Mbappe is indeed scoring - in fact, he broke Real Madrid's first season goal record with 39 goals (as of Thursday's match against Mallorca), and is expected to break the 40-goal mark in the last two games, but the cost of these goals is equally obvious.

No matter how whitewashing, Vinicius and Mbappe are the most comfortable positions on the left. Some people have used Mbappe's performance in the French national team's double striker system, or the example of Vinicius playing on the right when he eliminated Manchester City in the Champions League last season to demonstrate the compatibility of the two, but these rhetoric now seem to be just self-deception.

Real Madrid's original plan was to put Mbappe in the No. 9 position, supplemented by Vinicius and Rodrigo on both sides, while Bellingham, who shined in the pseudo-Nine position last year, returned to the traditional midfield role. Although Mbappe's personal performance is acceptable, the overall offensive system has never been able to operate smoothly. He will still cruise to the left from time to time, which does not only lack the instinctive running of the traditional center, but also cannot provide a fulcrum.

Bellingham's La Liga goal plummeted from 19 goals last year to 8 goals this season (7 of which were concentrated from November last year to early January this year). Rodrigo lost himself in the left-dominated tactics and has repeatedly become a substitute in the recent key battles.

On the defensive end, Mbappe's slack attitude in the absence of the ball began to spread to his teammates, which led to Real Madrid's lack of coordination when holding the ball. He often fell into the dilemma of defending less and defending more when not playing the ball. Mbappe may have fulfilled his promise to score, but many problems of the team stem from his joining.

Vinitius's journey of revenge fell, but the one that was most affected by Mbappe was Vinicius. Although the data of 36 goals + assists is almost the same as last season (37 times), the Brazilian obviously lost its decisiveness.

Mbappe squeezed the left space for some reason. Alonso's primary issue after taking office is to activate these two super attackers, but the young coach who is about to take over from Leverkusen still needs to rescue Vinicius from the haze of the Golden Globe defeat.

When Vinicius publicly complained about the unfairness of the 2024 Golden Globes selection and threatened that "the fans are not ready to meet my response", the outside world had expected him to slap his performance in the face. The hat-trick against Osasuna on November 9 last year was indeed amazing, but it became his peak moment this season.

Since then, Vinicius has only scored 3 goals in La Liga, and the Champions League goals after December last year are also irrelevant. Now every move he makes seems deliberate, impatient and even reckless, as if he is using brute force to prove himself to the world.

Ancelotti is increasingly disappointed with the flamenco star. He has been photographed many times to ask him to participate in the defense and scold him for his poor return to defense. Although rumors of Saudi transfers have gradually subsided, if Real Madrid wants to reach the peak again, they must find the best Vinicius.

Injury Frenzy

Mbappe does not need to take the blame for Real Madrid's injury wave. Although the modern football schedule is becoming increasingly dense, the injury blows suffered by the White Army this season are a disaster level.

In mid-November last year, Ancelotti lost the entire right-road defense line - Carvajal and Militon were both reimbursed for an ACL injury season, and Alaba has been unable to maintain form since returning from a knee injury in January.

Camavinga missed half of the league this season due to various injuries, and Mendy has not recovered since she suffered a muscle injury in mid-March. Other players have also been troubled by minor injuries many times, and after seven months of persistence with a knee injury, Rudiger finally took advantage of the red card suspension of the Cup REE final to undergo meniscus surgery.

Bellingham will also undergo shoulder surgery this summer. Although he insisted on avoiding further collapse of the defense with an injury, the lack of lineup depth ultimately cost Real Madrid. The other positions were not strengthened last summer window (Arnold and Huyson were quick to make up for the loss this summer), but the tuition fees for this season have been paid.

Midfield disorder

Real Madrid's most urgent loophole in the midfield, when 34-year-old Kroos announced his retirement, the club had time to find a replacement, but they chose to maintain the status quo - a decision proved disastrous.

Kroos' final season is a pinnacle. His control and calm dispatch in the midfield have always made Real Madrid ease. The Germans can accurately switch long and short pass rhythms, which is the real metronome of Real Madrid last season. Although Vinicius and Bellingham have snatched the headlines, Cross is the unsung hero behind the double champion.

It is difficult to replace the legend, but Real Madrid's inaction attitude eventually leads to bitter fruit. Now Real Madrid has completely lost control of the game. If they do not find a qualified replacement, it may be difficult to reach the peak again in the future.

The defensive line collapse

The most urgent task this summer is to rebuild the riddled defense line. The joining of Huisen and Arnold is the right medicine, and Alonso has a left-back candidate on his wish list.

Mallorca central defender Varent's goal at the Bernabeu can be regarded as a microcosm of Real Madrid's defense this season: the defender started dribbling from his penalty area and entered Real Madrid's hinterland without any obstacles within 12 seconds, calmly kicking in an open area of ​​ten meters - this is his 9th goal in his career, but it exposed the defensive vacuum of the Galaxy Battleship.

Although injuries can be used as part of the excuse, this is a systematic collapse. The opponent can tear the defense through passing and cutting, and can also use counterattack to directly hit the Yellow Dragon. The three lines are sometimes crowded and sometimes loose. The central defender, who lacks reliable midfielder protection, has repeatedly faced the impact. Whether it is Barcelona's lightning counterattack or Arsenal's ball control and suppression, Real Madrid is always about to collapse at a critical moment.

Barcelona's strong rise

Of course, there is always another side of the story: Barcelona's performance this season is phenomenal. When Frick failed to take the German team, the outside world was full of doubts about the team with the elderly Lewandowski, an injured midfielder and a financial crisis - these doubts have deteriorated like milk.

Although Frick's Barcelona has experienced pain, he has demonstrated his terrifying dominance most of the time. The former Bayern coach has created a stunning offensive system: Yamal and Rafinia flew together, Lewandowski rejuvenated for the second spring, and Pedri, who has recovered from health, has become a midfield magician. Although the high-level defense has caused controversy, it is this extreme oppression that suffocates the opponent.

The national derby's four wins (scoring 16 goals) confirms Barcelona's dominance. From the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super League Cup to the La Liga championship, Frick's youth storm is still evolving. According to this momentum, the title of "European Best Team" may change hands.