Ancelotti's Madrid: More Structure, Less Control in Europe
Real Madrid's tactical evolution in the 2025-26 Champions League shows a team with better positional structure but struggling to control matches through pressing.
Real Madrid have evolved tactically this season, but their improved structure hasn’t translated into complete dominance in Europe’s top competition.
Higher lines, wider shape
The numbers don’t lie - this Madrid side has undergone a proper tactical shift compared to last season. They’re now defending nearly seven metres higher up the pitch (35.3m from their goal compared to last season’s 28.6m), though still slightly below the tournament average of 36.8m.
Where they’ve really changed is in their attacking structure:
- Their attacking line sits at 75.8m from their own goal - among the highest in the competition
- They attack with a width of 48.2m - significantly wider than the European average of 42.9m
- Visually, they’re spending more time in the opposition’s half than many direct rivals
Álvaro Carreras plays incredibly high on the left (64.7m average height with the ball), while Fede Valverde sits deeper on the right (65.2m) as a balancing piece. It’s a clever solution, but one that makes their attack somewhat predictable.
Pressing problems
Despite the higher defensive line, Madrid remain one of the competition’s least aggressive pressing teams - a proper dog’s dinner when it comes to winning the ball back high.
The stats are telling:
- 17th in total strong pressures
- Just 18.6% pressing success rate (compared to Atlético’s 24.9% and Barcelona’s 20.6%)
- Central pressing in their own half but minimal effective activity in wide and high areas
- Only 12.9% success rate for pressures in the central offensive sector
The advanced positioning isn’t matched by coordinated pressing, allowing opponents to progress relatively comfortably. In a nutshell, Madrid position themselves high but don’t coordinate sustained pressure to convert that height into real dominance.
Lethal on the counter
When they do recover possession, Madrid have been quite deadly. They’re:
- 5th in total off-ball movements
- 1st in wide runs
- 3rd in depth runs
- 8th in runs behind the defence
Their approach isn’t about flooding the box or crossing, but breaking structures and accelerating. They rank second in players dribbled past, defenders beaten, and line-breaking carries. The likes of Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bellingham and Mbappé explain why Madrid can decide matches without dominating play.
The cost of tactical choices
Barcelona press high and take risks. Atlético combine pressure with order. Madrid, meanwhile, accept ceding initiative and trust their talent. It’s a valid choice… until it isn’t.
The Champions League doesn’t just reward teams that attack well, but those that control matches. This Madrid side, despite evolving into a more modern, structured and dangerous team on the counter, hasn’t been able to impose their context on games.
Their playoff defeat to Benfica wasn’t an accident or an isolated bad night - it was the direct consequence of a phase where Madrid never quite took command. What was previously a tactical choice has now become a competitive obligation.