Three questions and three answers from Real Madrid 4-4 (5-4 agg.) Real Sociedad

Real Madrid secured a place in the Copa del Rey final by seeing off Real Sociedad in extra-time with a 4-4 draw which adds to the 1-0 first leg win in San Sebastián to secure a 5-4 aggregate victory. In a thrilling feast of football, Endrick, Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouameni and Antonio Rüdiger got on the scoresheet, cancelling out two David Alaba own goals and a Mikel Oyarzabal double.

Three answers

1. How much rotation would there be?

This game came at a time when injuries are impacting Carlo Ancelotti’s squad but also when minutes need to be managed. Recent strains and knocks to the likes of Antonio Rüdiger and Thibaut Courtois have shown exactly why the team needs to be careful in handling workloads in what was their 50th game of the season. The next two weeks will bring UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Arsenal, as well as tricky league fixtures against Valencia, Alavés and Athletic Club. As such, Ancelotti was never likely to field his strongest possible XI here, as much as he would like to. The team selection reflected that, with David Alaba ahead of Rüdiger and Endrick replacing Kylian Mbappé in attack. With no Courtois, Rüdiger or Mbappé, it could be argued that three quarters of Real Madrid’s spine was absent.

2. Would Andriy Lunin be able to justify a starting role in a potential final?

When asked who would play in a possible final in his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti responded, “it remains to be seen, Lunin can play, Courtois can play and if they are injured, Fran González plays, and if we don’t reach the final, none of the three will play”. The coach was giving little away, but the Ukrainian already knows the frustration of helping a team to reach the final only to lose your place from last season’s Champions League campaign. Lunin has started every game in the Champions League this season, while Courtois has not even been included in a match day squad for any of the five games to date this season. Lunin started again here, with Courtois unavailable due to injury, and he could well be disappointed with the goal conceded with Ander Barrenetxea’s rapid shot not being a world beater, but Lunin was left wildly exposed by his defence, and there was little he could do about either of David Alaba’s own goals. It might not have a night for Lunin to remember, but he wasn’t to blame for what went wrong either.

3. Would Endrick start, and if so, would he take his chance?

We can sit here for days analysing the stats and tactical implications, but the raw facts show that the Brazilian teenager had scored four goals in four games in the Copa del Rey this season. All of those goals have come against top flight sides (Celta Vigo, Leganés and Real Sociedad), and leave him second in the goalscoring charts only behind Julián Álvarez of Atlético Madrid. Against Real Sociedad, Endrick drew level with the Argentine, recording his fifth goal in as many games, despite his return of two goals in 24 games in other competitions. His goal was well-taken, perfectly timed to catch out La Real’s high line to break in behind and then showing great composure to chip the ball over Alex Remiro.

Three questions

1. Did Carlo Ancelotti get it wrong?

Any Real Madrid coach is going to have questions to answer after conceding four goals at home, regardless of whether the team makes it through to a cup final. Ancelotti gambled, perhaps more than necessary, on Tuesday night. Firstly by rotating the spine of his team with a one-goal lead against a solid La Liga team, and then by going gung-ho in defence and fielding two midfielders in Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga in the full-back positions alongside David Alaba, still fresh back from a year out, and Raúl Asencio, who has half a season of first team experience. Real Madrid’s defensive record, with six games in a row without a clean sheet, is a concern ahead of facing much stronger opposition.

2. Was this just bad luck for David Alaba?

David Alaba was making only his fourth start for Real Madrid since returning from 13 months on the sidelines, and sadly for the Austrian, it showed. Neither of the own goals were terrible errors or mistakes by Alaba, they were simply unfortunate deflections, but they’re the kind of unfortunate deflections that a 32-year-old veteran of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich fame would not usually commit. He looked rusty and lacking the fluidity and practice to help improve his positioning and reaction times that are no surprise after such a prolonged period on the sidelines. Ancelotti has to give him minutes and has to rotate, but this may not have been the ideal scenario or the ideal partner in Asencio to do so.

3. Can Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey?

Much here could depend upon who Real Madrid will play in the final at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville on April 26th. Both Atlético Madrid and FC Barcelona he’s proven tricky opponents this season and in recent years and it seems likely that whichever of those two sides makes it through on Wednesday night, Ancelotti won’t be licking his lips. Both teams have beaten Real Madrid already this season, and Atlético’s entirely season could ride on getting their hands on silverware in this competition. The pressure will be on whether the final is a Derbi or a Clásico, but as Real Madrid showed in extra-time at the Bernabéu, that’s not a problem for this team.

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