Zidane set to use TWELFTH different back four in 17 games
Unless Zidane fields the same defensive line that he did in Warsaw on Wednesday, then the game against Leganés could see him name his 12th distinctive rearguard of the season.
Be it through injuries, or be it through tactical decisions, Zinedine Zidane has already used 11 different back-four lineups in just 16 matches so far this season. The Real Madrid coach hasn’t repeated the same back four in two consecutive games since August when Celta Vigo visited the Bernabéu.
Unless Zidane fields the same defensive line that he did in Warsaw on Wednesday (Carvajal-Nacho-Varane-Coentrao) then the game against Leganés on Sunday could see him name his 12th distinctive rearguard of the season.
Carvajal-Varane-Ramos-Marcelo: just four games
Zidane’s favoured back four (based on the number of times they’ve played together since he became coach) is Carvajal at right-back, Marcelo at left-back, and Sergio Ramos in the middle with Varane. However he’s only had his first choice defenders available to him on just four occasions this season.
The Carvajal-Varane-Ramos-Marcelo combination was used in the UEFA SuperCup versus Sevilla, in the two first LaLiga encounters (Real Sociedad and Celta) and the Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon.
In each of Madrid’s other 12 games, Pepe, Danilo, Nacho and Conetrao have come in for one reason or another (injuries, rotations, tactics).