It will be tough for Carlo Ancelotti to choose from his array of attacking talent at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Italian is looking to give everyone their due chances until he finds the best squad for the Blancos.
The former Everton tactician has fielded the attacking trio of Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale. While the Frenchman is one of the first players on the team sheet, Ancelotti is still not sure about the other two players.
![Infinite Madrid on Twitter: "Zidane is considering starting Gareth Bale against Eibar and forming a trio of Hazard, Benzema and Bale up top. [@diarioas]… https://t.co/CXlqPzotu7"](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EaVfGK0XkAE5ZVc.jpg)
The former Chelsea man Hazard has failed to find his feet in Spain after leaving Stamford Bridge in July 2019. Ancelotti still wants to give the Belgian more chances, but with Vinicius Junior performing at such a high level, he will have to reconsider.
Bale has also started the season pretty well. The Welsh, who spent last season at his former club Tottenham, is keen to cement his place in the starting eleven. A goal against Levante will put him in great stead for the upcoming matches. Apart from Bale, several other players are also pushing for a starting berth in the Spanish capital.
Asked about whether he has found his ideal starting lineup, Ancelotti told the club’s website:
“I can’t tell you how many minutes they’re going to play. There’s a lot of competition up front.
“We’ve got some quality forwards like Bale, Vini Jr., Hazard, Benzema and Jovic, who did well [against Levante]. I have to enjoy that quality on the pitch by handing those who deserve to be out there the game time.”
After starting this season with a thumping 4-1 win over Deportivo Alaves, Los Blancos have followed it up with a 3-3 draw against Levante.
Despite dominating the first half and scoring an early goal, Los Blancos failed to bring home all three points. It was a thrilling second half where Levante scored three goals, and despite being a player down, they held onto the draw.
Vinicius came up with a brace to help Madrid at least seek a point from this entertaining game. After being criticised for his poor performances in the past, the Brazilian youngster is keen to prove his doubters wrong this season.
Ancelotti is very impressed with the youngster’s performance:
“Vinicius Jr. has scored three goals in two matches and that’s the sign of a really important player.
“I don’t give too much importance to who starts because I’ve got such a good squad. We’ve scored a lot of goals in these first two games. The problem isn’t whether Vinicius Jr starts or not, the concern is if he isn’t scoring but he got two goals today.”
Los Blancos have already scored seven goals in their first two La Liga matches. But they have failed to register a single clean sheet till now. The Italian tactician has agreed that his players need to improve defensively. They lost players like Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane in defence, and the new-look backline will take time to settle.
The Italian tactician fielded a back four of Eder Militao, Nacho Fernandez, David Alaba and Lucas Vazquez. It will take time for all four of them to create an understanding that is needed for Real Madrid to flourish at the top level.
The Royal Whites finished second last season in the La Liga behind champions and arch-rivals Atletico Madrid and were also knocked out in the semifinals of the Champions League after losing to Manchester City.
