AS: Real Madrid's 4-2-3-1 nearly set, Mourinho unsure on double-pivot partner

This weekend, Real Madrid will travel to face Espanyol in their first La Liga match. Spanish media outlet AS published an analysis of Real Madrid's squad framework, stating that Real Madrid's 4-2-3-1 formation is close to being finalized, but Mourinho has not yet decided on his preferred double pivot pairing.

The report states that Mourinho's experimental phase is over. In Mourinho's own words, the real tough battles and exciting matches are just beginning. Before the league opener against Espanyol, he had observed all his players in six matches. Real Madrid's pre-season has been unbeaten, with five wins and one draw, showing a steady upward trend in form. This is reflected in their on-field performances, and the data and match results also support it: two clean sheets against Deportivo La Coruña and Schalke 04, and Real Madrid, who are about to visit Espanyol's home ground, have not conceded a goal for 243 consecutive minutes.

While both perception and the available evidence are clear, Mourinho has not shown all his cards — and, indeed, he could not. Six players, almost half the squad, had only limited playing time before Sunday’s warm-up match in Germany; another six are on the injury list. Six pre-season matches have provided definite answers but have also left many questions.

Overall Tactics: Formation Framework Mostly Established

From a team perspective, the 4-2-3-1 formation seems to have been settled. Setting aside the actual performances in the pre-season matches, this classic system appears best suited to accommodate the team’s four main attacking pieces: Diomande, Bellingham, Vinicius, and Mbappe. These four have never appeared on the field together. Vinicius was the first of the four to return to the team, featuring in three friendly matches; the other three attackers only returned last week and took part only in the match against Schalke 04. In the 25 minutes of that match, we saw the front three provide support for Mbappe. Diomande, Bellingham, and Vinicius were on the field at the same time in Gelsenkirchen, but Carlos Espi led the attack, not Mbappe.

Although the general direction of the formation has been determined, there is still some flexibility for adjustments, and Bernardo Silva is a key figure in this. At the start of the second half against Deportivo La Coruña, Mourinho experimented with a three-man midfield: Camavinga, Valverde, and Bernardo Silva, who alternated between playing as an attacking midfielder and a left-sided inverted winger. This may also serve as a contingency plan for Bellingham's role throughout the season.

Double Pivot and Centre-back Partnership

Turning to the midfield, the choice of the double pivot remains undecided, and Mourinho has not yet determined his preferred pairing for these crucial positions. The competition for starting spots is concentrated among Tchouaméni, Valverde, and Bernardo Silva, with Camavinga as an alternative. Camavinga's situation is quite contradictory: he is Mourinho's fourth most-used player, but this is due to objective circumstances. Camavinga did not participate in the World Cup and returned to training on the first day of pre-season, unlike the other three. And his performances have not quelled the various controversies surrounding him last season; the discussions remain heated.

As players gradually returned, Mourinho continued to rotate the double-pivot pairings, with Camavinga initially a fixed choice. In the first warm-up match, he partnered with Sestréro; against Leganés, Valverde and Camavinga played together, a combination that continued in the matches against Fiorentina and Ferencváros. In the starting lineup against Deportivo La Coruña at Riazor, Camavinga was paired with Bernardo Silva; against Schalke 04, it was Bernardo Silva and Valverde. Tchouaméni has not yet made his pre-season debut due to an overloaded thigh muscle; another contender, Thiago Pittaci, suffered a left knee injury and also could not play.

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Due to return times and injuries, the defense has not yet been finalized. At left-back, Cucurella, a new signing who just won the World Cup, should have been a guaranteed starter, but he only played the last half hour against Schalke 04. He returned late, and with Mendy injured, Carreras seized the opportunity to become Real Madrid's most-played player this pre-season.

At right-back, Mourinho rotated between Alexander-Arnold and Dumfries: the Englishman played 241 minutes, while the Dutchman played 239. However, playing time alone cannot determine who will secure a starting spot. The two were on the field together for a total of 120 minutes: the first 75 minutes of the Fiorentina match and the second half against Deportivo La Coruña. During those two hours, Alexander-Arnold played at right-back, while Dumfries shifted to the wing.

At center-back, injuries have kept Militão from playing so far (he is expected to return after the first international break for national teams), while Asensio only featured in the first warm-up match and the training match against Leganés. Mourinho tried multiple combinations: Rüdiger + Huijsen in the first half against Deportivo La Coruña and the second half against Schalke 04; Konate + Huijsen were deployed in the first 45 minutes of the match in Germany. For the rest of the time, he used one or even two youth academy players. Before Militão and Asensio return, the two center-back spots in the early part of the new season will be contested by Rüdiger, Huijsen, and Konate.

Four Core Attackers Largely Settled

At goalkeeper, Courtois's starting position is undisputed; the front four of Diomande, Bellingham, Vinicius, and Mbappe are also undisputed. However, the rotational players have also been impressive. Güler performed well when playing in Bellingham's attacking midfield position. The Turkish player started all six pre-season matches, providing two assists: one for Valverde against Leganés and another for Huijsen in the Gelsenkirchen match. Mourinho's tactics specifically include an attacking midfield position, where Güler can fully showcase his abilities when Bellingham is off the field. Brahim, once fully fit, will also firmly occupy a right-winger spot. Over the past two seasons, these two players have constantly changed positions, striving to adapt to the 4-3-3 system. And Espi's performance has also been impressive. Before Mbappe's arrival, Endrick was Mourinho's starting striker, scoring against Fiorentina. After Mbappe secured the central forward spot, the two will have to compete for the remaining limited playing time.

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Now everything is in Mourinho's hands. He has had varying amounts of time to assess different players and now needs to finalize the starting eleven. The tests are over, and the real show is about to begin. Many questions will receive their first answers in Saturday's match against Espanyol...

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