Alvaro Arbeloa’s tactics are partially responsible for making it very difficult for Real Madrid to win the La Liga title this season.
Los Blancos lost 2-1 to Mallorca to remain with 69 points in 30 matches, and Barcelona’s win over Atletico Madrid later in the day took them to 76 points from the same number of matches.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s tactics already had question marks surrounding them from the team selection against Mallorca.
Real Madrid decided to start without Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior and those three players were introduced as substitutes in the second half.
The intention was to save them up for the crucial first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern Munich next week.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s Tactics: Real Madrid Look Very One-Dimensional
Real Madrid started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Kylian Mbappe upfront and Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz on the left and right flanks, respectively.
The partnership between Alvaro Carreras, Guler and Mbappe was active on the left side, and Real Madrid’s ploy in the first half was to set Mbappe free through the inside-left channel. The French forward came close to scoring on a few occasions, but could not beat the opposition goalkeeper.
Even in the second half, when Vinicius Junior, Bellingham and Militao were introduced, Guler did not switch to the right.
The Turkish attacking midfielder was deployed as the number 10, Vinicius Junior as the left-winger, and Carreras caused an overload on the left, with Mbappe joining at times.
However, it made it easier for Mallorca to block that channel and stop the Real Madrid attacks.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s tactics of putting in a young Franco Mastontuono in for Guler was questionable as well, as the Argentine failed to make much of a difference for Los Blancos.
Brahim Diaz went into the number 10 role and Mastontuono as the right-winger after Guler came off. The Argentine youngster managed to cut inside through the inside-right channel at times, but failed to make the impact that was needed.
With that being said, Guler would have been able to make Real Madrid’s attacks more complete had he played as the right-winger, but Alvaro Arbeloa’s tactics before the Bayern Munich match in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final certainly raised a few eyebrows.
Guler has been used as a number 10 in the past, but it is obvious that his best position is on the right flank.
With Rodrygo out of action for a long time, Real Madrid do not have any other proper option on the right flank aside from Guler and Mastontuono, with the latter being too inexperienced and young.
Brahim Diaz, with a solitary goal and five assists in 32 matches this season, remains very ordinary with his performances as the number 10 or the right-winger.
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Alvaro Arbeloa’s Tactics: Crucial End Of The Season For Real Madrid
Aside from the titanic battle with Bayern, Real Madrid will face Girona and Alaves in their next two La Liga matches.
Los Blancos’ destiny is no longer in their hands, and they will have to wait for Barcelona to falter to win their 37th league title.
As of now, Mallorca’s victory against Real Madrid has given Barcelona a massive advantage in the title race.
Barca also has a UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash coming up as they face Atletico Madrid next week.
However, Alvaro Arbeloa’s tactics have helped Barca take a potentially decisive lead in the race to the La Liga title.
Arbeloa has prevailed over Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola in the UEFA Champions League this season after he replaced Xabi Alonso, but his strategy against Mallorca should come under some scrutiny.
Irrespective of the upcoming clash in the UEFA Champions League, which is considered the most important title to win at Real Madrid, the Spaniard should have altered his tactics somewhat to get the better of Mallorca.
It remains to be seen whether Alvaro Arbeloa’s tactics remain as predictable in the matches against Bayern Munich, but this season has seen Real Madrid become a rather predictable and one-dimensional side.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto
Recording Date: 04.04.2026
