Real Madrid: Why Rodri Barcelona move is hurting Mourinho despite Bernardo Silva

Real Madrid added Bernardo Silva to a midfield already containing Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler, but their nonaccomplishment to motion Rodri is opening to look much important aft defeats to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.

Jose Mourinho insisted successful August that Real did not person a midfield occupation adjacent aft losing their conflict with Barcelona for the erstwhile Manchester City star.

"I don't deliberation we person a deficit," the Portuguese said, describing Rodri arsenic the imaginable "cherry connected top" alternatively than an indispensable addition.

Seven La Liga matches later, Madrid's occupation is not a deficiency of midfield quality.

It is that nary of Mourinho's options people performs each the functions Rodri could person combined successful 1 position.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are already benefiting from precisely that profile.

Bernardo Silva has improved Madrid without replacing Rodri

Bernardo was an evident mode to adhd experience, quality and greater power successful possession pursuing his accomplishment from Manchester City.

However, the Portugal planetary does not construe midfield successful the aforesaid mode arsenic his erstwhile teammate.

Bernardo excels astatine receiving successful choky areas, carrying possession, combining with teammates and helping his broadside circulate the shot further forward.

Rodri tin run arsenic the notation constituent down each of that.

He tin person from the centre-backs, dictate the tempo, connection extortion against transitions and supply the level from which much attacking midfielders tin determination higher up the pitch.

Madrid person players susceptible of performing each of those tasks individually.

Tchouameni provides antiaircraft extortion and tin lend to the archetypal signifier of build-up, portion Valverde brings intensity, ball-carrying quality and immense carnal coverage.

Camavinga is peculiarly effectual astatine escaping unit and progressing possession.

Guler offers greater creativity successful precocious areas, portion Bellingham is astir unsafe erstwhile allowed to onslaught spaces person to goal.

The occupation for Mourinho is combining those qualities without asking 1 oregon much of his midfielders to execute duties that bash not maximise their strengths.

Madrid person efficaciously been searching for that equilibrium since Toni Kroos retired successful 2024.

Rodri appeared susceptible of addressing the contented directly, but Barcelona entered the contention during the summertime and yet convinced the Spain planetary to determination to Camp Nou.

Atletico decision exposed the missing midfield profile

Madrid's 2-1 derby defeat provided possibly the clearest illustration yet of wherefore Mourinho wanted Rodri.

Tchouameni and Valverde formed the deeper midfield pairing, with Guler and Bellingham occupying much precocious positions.

On paper, it gave Madrid athleticism, antiaircraft sum and sizeable attacking quality.

In practice, Atletico controlled agelong periods of the contest.

Diego Simeone's broadside finished with 61% possession and 18 attempts, portion Madrid produced lone 8 shots and struggled to found sustained territorial control.

Rodri would not automatically person changed the result, peculiarly aft Dean Huijsen's dismissal analyzable Madrid's task.

However, the quality of the show highlighted the relation Mourinho inactive lacks.

A specializer controller could perchance let Bellingham to stay person to the punishment country alternatively of becoming much progressive successful deeper construction.

Valverde could besides onslaught abstraction much aggressively without carrying arsenic overmuch work for maintaining the team's structure.

The uncomfortable portion for Madrid is that Rodri is already performing that occupation for their biggest rivals.

He completed 67 of 74 passes successful Barcelona's 3-1 triumph implicit Sevilla and 113 of 118 against Levante, providing a unchangeable level alongside Pedri.

His beingness allows Pedri to person possession further forward, portion Barcelona's wide players and full-backs tin instrumentality much assertive positions knowing determination is extortion down them.

Hansi Flick's broadside person opened a six-point vantage implicit Madrid aft 7 league matches.

That spread cannot simply beryllium reduced to 1 transportation decision, and determination is nary warrant that Rodri would person produced precisely the aforesaid interaction astatine the Bernabeu.

The aboriginal weeks of the play person nevertheless reinforced wherefore Madrid pursued him and wherefore Mourinho regarded him arsenic an "extraordinary player".

Mourinho has nary shortage of elite midfielders.

What helium inactive appears to beryllium searching for is 1 subordinate susceptible of connecting each of them.