Three factors to watch out for Real Madrid in upcoming season

Certain things will need to go right for Real Madrid to repeat the success of last season

Real Madrid are the most successful club in world football and their campaign in the 2021-22 season did justice to their reputation as a club. They won the coveted double of the Champions League and La Liga, as Carlo Ancelotti became the first manager to win domestic titles in each of the top five leagues in Europe.

However, maintaining that kind of success is always difficult and Real Madrid will have to go through a stern test to replicate the heroics of last season. We now take a look at three factors pertaining to the Los Blancos to watch out for in the upcoming season.

Performance of new signings

Real Madrid have not made many new signings this season and have also failed in their endeavor to get Kylian Mbappe from PSG. Still, the two signings they have made might prove to be crucial next season.

Antonio Rudiger, the 29-year-old German centre-back, is among the finest in the world in his position and should be considered a prized signing for Real. In their 0-1 loss to Barcelona in a recent friendly, Rudiger dealt with the twin threat of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha while playing as a left-sided centre-back. Moreover, he also swapped position with left-back David Alaba at times to go into overlaps. Real Madrid will need such diligent performances from the lion-hearted centre-back this season.

Madrid also acquired Aurelien Tchouameni, the French defensive midfielder, and will expect creditable performances from him. He will have to contend with Casemiro for a place in the staring 11, but Real would welcome such healthy competition in their squad.

Veteran players coming good

Madrid have quite a few veteran players in their ranks like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema. Each of them has contributed a lot to Real’s success during the last decade or so. They are not going to play for the club for much longer and would love to come good once again in the upcoming season.

Modric and Kroos form the core of team with their passing and play-making skills. As a result, each of them is very crucial for the club’s success. However, they might face competition from the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, who played a critical role in Real’s win over Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions league semifinal last season.

Benzema, the centre-forward who refuses to age, should be central to Real’s plans for next season. The 34-year-old , who scored a whopping 44 goals last season, will look forward to having yet another remarkable season for Los Blancos.

Utilizing the enormous potential of the young attackers

Real have a lot of exciting young offensive players even after the departures of Isco and Luka Jovic. Vinicius, who scored the match-winner in last year’s Champions League final, provides a wonderful option through the left flank with his speed and agility. Rodrygo, the other Brazilian, is hard-working and capable of scoring as well as assisting. The playing styles of both of them suit Real’s counter-attacking approach to a ‘T.’

However, Ancelotti has a challenge upfront in the form of Marco Asensio. The 26-year-old Spanish forward, who was touted as one of the most exciting youngsters few years ago, has not quite lived up to expectations. He is capable of playing on either flank and his versatility should be utilized properly. Asensio should try desperately to become a regular starter for Los Blancos and the manager should help him in this regard.

The same is true about Lucas Vasquez, who is gifted, but has not quite been able to make the right-winger’s position his own. He was played as the right-back by Ancelotti in the friendly against Barcelona, but his potential as an attacking player is too good to be ignored.