As Liverpool prepares to face Real Madrid in the Champions League clash on Wednesday, the Reds can exploit several tactical weaknesses plaguing Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season. Despite boasting an enviable array of attacking talent, Los Blancos have struggled in key areas of their structure, particularly against disciplined pressing systems and in maintaining compactness off the ball. With their intensity and tactical adaptability, Arne Slot’s Liverpool may well have the tools to unpick Madrid’s frailties.

Real Madrid’s Struggles Against High Presses

A recurring theme in Real Madrid’s performances this season has been their difficulty in bypassing organized high presses. Teams like Atalanta, Stuttgart, Barcelona, and even Celta de Vigo have demonstrated how effectively pinning Madrid in their defensive third can disrupt their rhythm.

Against Atalanta, for instance, their aggressive man-to-man press rendered Madrid’s build-up ineffective. Thibaut Courtois, often left with no viable short options, resorted to launching long balls towards Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. However, with Atalanta’s defenders marking tightly and winning both first and second balls, Madrid struggled to sustain meaningful possession. Similarly, Stuttgart employed a well-drilled pressing system, with their attackers cutting off passing lanes to the fullbacks and double pivots, forcing mistakes in central areas.

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Liverpool can replicate these patterns. Deploying a front line that presses in a coordinated manner-targeting Real Madrid’s center-backs and pivots can disrupt their attempts to play out from the back. An additional advantage for Liverpool is their physicality in duels, which could tilt the battle for second balls in their favor.

Exploiting Madrid’s Disjointed Defensive Shape

Out of possession, Madrid’s lack of compactness has been a glaring issue. Their defensive block often appears fragmented, with significant gaps between the lines. This has allowed opponents to find spaces between the midfield and defensive lines, enabling attacking midfielders and forwards to receive the ball in dangerous areas.

For instance, against Celta Vigo, Madrid’s failure to close passing lanes enabled their opponents to progress the ball centrally with ease. Similarly, Stuttgart exploited Madrid’s high defensive line, using quick vertical passes to bypass their midfield and expose the spaces behind their center-backs.

Vulnerabilities on Madrid’s Right Side

Real Madrid’s reliance on their right flank for progression has been another point of concern. Dani Carvajal, tasked with providing width, often tucks inside to support the midfield, leaving his flank exposed during transitions. This was evident in matches where opposing teams isolated Carvajal or exploited the space behind him with quick switches of play.

Liverpool’s left side, spearheaded by Luis Díaz and supported by Kostas Tsimikas, can be a potent weapon against Madrid’s right flank. Díaz’s ability to stretch defenses with his pace and Tsimikas’s overlapping runs can pin Carvajal back, limiting his forward influence. Moreover, targeting this area during transitions could yield significant opportunities, especially with Madrid’s wingers often slow to track back.

Madrid’s Passive Pressing and Off-Ball Deficiencies

Madrid’s pressing structure has been inconsistent. Their forwards, including Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé, have shown a reluctance to press aggressively, leaving gaps that opponents can exploit. Dortmund and Barcelona highlighted this flaw by progressing through the thirds with relative ease, bypassing Madrid’s half-hearted attempts to press.

Arne Slot’s side can capitalize on this by building from the back with confidence. Caoimhín Kelleher’s distribution and the composure of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté can help Liverpool evade Madrid’s press. Once past the first line of pressure, Liverpool’s midfield can dictate the tempo, drawing Madrid out of shape and creating opportunities to exploit their defensive weaknesses.

Liverpool’s midfielders – especially players like Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister – can take full advantage of this lack of compactness. By positioning themselves in the half-spaces or dropping between the lines, they can draw Madrid’s defenders out of position, creating gaps for Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez to exploit. Additionally, Liverpool’s ability to overload central areas with Trent Alexander-Arnold in his hybrid role could further stretch Madrid’s defensive organization.

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Transition Opportunities Against Madrid’s High Line

Real Madrid’s defensive line, particularly in moments of possession loss, has been vulnerable to quick transitions. Their center-backs, Antonio Rüdiger and Éder Militão, often find themselves exposed due to the lack of support from their midfield. This was evident in matches where opponents successfully drew Madrid’s midfielders higher up the pitch, creating space behind for forwards to exploit.

Liverpool’s attacking trio, with their pace and directness, are well-suited to exploit these transitions. Darwin Núñez’s ability to run in behind and Mohamed Salah’s precision in one-on-one situations can cause significant problems for Madrid’s high line. Slot’s emphasis on quick vertical passes and intelligent movement could prove decisive in turning turnovers into goal-scoring opportunities.

Milan’s Approach: A Blueprint for Success

Milan’s 3-1 victory over Real Madrid highlighted fundamental flaws in Madrid’s off-ball structure. One recurring issue was the role of Federico Valverde, who often dropped into a situational right-back position. This adjustment created an imbalance in Madrid’s shape: if Valverde stayed deep, their midfield was left unprotected, opening spaces between the lines for Milan to exploit. Conversely, when Valverde stepped forward, Milan consistently engineered numerical advantages in wide areas or behind the defense.

Milan’s approach with the ball was built on fluid rotations and sharp positional awareness. Youssouf Fofana anchored the midfield as a single pivot, but his role was complemented by dynamic support from Tijjani Reijnders, who frequently moved between the lines to provide outlets. Álvaro Morata also dropped deep to connect play, allowing attackers like Christian Pulisic and Theo Hernández to push higher and exploit Madrid’s defensive disorganization.

Madrid’s Out-of-Possession Struggles

Madrid’s defensive vulnerabilities stem from a lack of compactness and cohesive pressing. Their wide attackers, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé, rarely track back once the ball is bypassed, leaving large vertical gaps for opponents to exploit. Milan took advantage of this by positioning Reijnders and Fofana on different lines, stretching Madrid’s midfield, and forcing Aurélien Tchouaméni to cover too much ground.

Valverde’s deeper role further complicated Madrid’s defensive structure, leaving the midfield disjointed. This created an environment where Milan could easily access the half-spaces or exploit pockets of space between Madrid’s lines. Without sufficient aerial dominance in the back line, Madrid also struggled to contain vertical passes, allowing players like Pulisic and Hernández to receive the ball in dangerous areas.

Targeting Madrid in Transition

Milan’s ability to capitalize on Madrid’s transition vulnerabilities was another key factor in their success. Rafael Leão, deployed on the left, repeatedly targeted Lucas Vázquez, who struggled to deal with Leão’s pace and directness. Even when Madrid managed to recover into shape, neither Valverde nor Vázquez could prevent Leão from creating opportunities in wide areas.

This transitional weakness extended to Madrid’s central defenders, who were left exposed by the high line. Milan’s quick ball progression, particularly through Fofana and Reijnders, allowed them to bypass Madrid’s midfield and create overloads in the final third.

Milan’s Offensive Shape: Fluid and Direct

With possession, Milan’s shape transitioned into an aggressive 4-2-4 or even a 2-4-4 structure. Morata’s deeper movement allowed Milan to dominate central spaces, while Hernández and Leão provided a constant threat down the left. Pulisic, operating in the half-spaces, was pivotal in linking play and creating connections between midfield and attack.

Notably, Milan’s left-sided dominance was overwhelming. Nearly half (49%) of their passes into the final third were directed down the left flank, with three of those sequences leading to chances. This highlights how Hernández and Leão’s partnership, combined with Milan’s numerical superiority in central areas, consistently unbalanced Madrid’s defense.

Lessons for Liverpool

Liverpool can take several tactical cues from Milan’s approach to exploit Real Madrid’s weaknesses:

1. Wide Threats: Deploying Luis Díaz and Kostas Tsimikas to target Madrid’s vulnerable right side, particularly isolating the RB in 1v1 situations.
2. Midfield Rotations: Utilize Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dynamism to replicate the fluid movement of Reijnders and Fofana, creating overloads and stretching Madrid’s midfield.
3. Pressing Triggers: Force Madrid into mistakes by pressing high and targeting their buildup. Players like Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez can thrive in transition moments by exploiting Madrid’s high defensive line.

Conclusion

While Real Madrid remains a formidable opponent, their structural flaws provide a clear roadmap for Liverpool to follow. By focusing on defensive compactness, controlling central areas, and exploiting wide spaces, Slot’s side can replicate the success Milan achieved at the Bernabéu. If Liverpool can balance their intensity with tactical discipline, they’ll have every chance of securing a vital result in what promises to be a thrilling European encounter.

However, execution will be key. Real Madrid’s strengths in attack cannot be underestimated, and Liverpool must maintain defensive discipline to avoid being punished by the likes of Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. But if Liverpool can impose their intensity and exploit Madrid’s vulnerabilities, they have a strong chance of emerging victorious in this heavyweight Champions League encounter.

By: Rohit Kumaran / @kumaran_rohit3 

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Denis Doyle / Getty Images