Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical secret that has Madrid back on track

Hallelujah. That was the reaction of Real Madrid fans after the game in Bergamo: for the first time all season, their three stars scored in the same match, a thrilling 2-3 win against Atalanta.

And on the 23rd attempt, no less.

Mbappé, Vinicius, and Bellingham, the trio destined for greatness, had been hampered by injuries and setbacks. But it was only a matter of time and last night, it finally happened. First Kylian, then Vini, and to cap off the night, Bellingham.

This trio, among other things, is the key to the team’s transformation. Ancelotti believes he has found the right formula for how they should play. It’s the path without Kroos and the beast is starting to roar.

Ancelotti finds the secret: Bellingham

So many nights talking about Mbappé and Vinicius… when the secret was Bellingham. He’s not a playmaker, not a winger on the left, not an experiment on the right: Jude needs the freedom to move because with space to see where he can create and sniff out gaps in the opponents’ defense, he’s absolutely extraordinary.

Carletto gave him free rein against Osasuna and since then: boom. That afternoon everything changed. “We became more solid; there has been more work and commitment,” says the coach, referring to the click that happened for the team that day. Bellingham scored. And he left the ketchup bottle metaphor in the dust: his thing is more like a Coca-cola with Mentos.

He hadn’t scored a single goal all season. Now he has six goals in the last seven games: Leganés, Getafe, Athletic, Girona, and Atalanta, plus the one against Osasuna. Incredible. He only missed scoring at Anfield. Bellingham’s definitely back to his best. It was as simple as giving him freedom. From there, all the pieces have started to fall into place: Mbappé has more space because opponents have to split their efforts to also stop Jude’s runs from deep… and Vinicius is back to his brilliant best in attack. Bingo.

Real Madrid’s goalscoring record: Mbappé, Vini Jr & Bellingham

And… Eureka! That’s what Ancelotti must be saying, believing he has found the key to success. Within the club, there’s a huge sense of excitement seeing that, finally, the team is starting to click. And although there’s still a long way to go to reach the expected level, things are starting to come together. Among them, the functioning of the trio. Bergamo was the first game all season where all three scored and the numbers are starting to become scarily good.

They have 21 goals between them: 13 from Vinicius, 12 from Mbappé, and six from Bellingham. To put it in perspective: their goals account for 44% of the team’s total (48 across all competitions). They’re almost half of Madrid’s offense. Next are Valverde (4) and Rodrygo (3). The only blemish on this record is Kylian’s injury: he has discomfort in his left hamstring and will undergo tests this Thursday. He’s practically ruled out for Madrid’s game against Rayo Vallecano. A temporary pause in the excitement. Because the feeling that the trio is finally here remains. At last. Hallelujah.

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Original article written by Sergio López, translated with the assistance of AI and edited by Joe Brennan.