Decoding five key factors in Real Madrid’s title triumph

Carlo Ancelotti’s side moved away from last season’s winner and surprise rival Girona to claim their 36th La Liga trophy, extending their record.

Real Madrid is admired for its unwavering attitude and confidence in big games (Photo: @realmadrid/X)

real Madrid They clinched the Spanish title on Saturday for the fourth time in 12 years, beating Cadiz 3-0 before previous champions Barcelona lost 4-2 in Girona.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team pulled away from Girona, last season’s winner and surprising rival, to claim their 36th La Liga trophy, extending their record. Mid-Day breaks down the keys to Los Blancos’ national success this season.

bright bellingham

No one expected Jude Bellingham to make such an instant impact in Spain after his departure from Borussia Dortmund last summer. The England international quickly established himself as a key player in Madrid’s attacking zones with ten goals in his first ten league games, replacing the late Karim Benzema. Although his numbers have dropped in the second half of the campaign, Bellingham remains Los Blancos’ top scorer with 18 in La Liga, and Ancelotti also regularly praises his strong work ethic.

Catalan capitulation

Barcelona seemed revitalized last season under Xavi Hernandez, but the champions struggled mightily in the first half of the season. Their until then solid defense gave way with alarming regularity and Madrid’s consistency, falling to just one defeat in the entire campaign to date, made their march towards the title seem inevitable. Barcelona found new life after January, but it was too little, too late for Madrid’s arch-rivals.

Mindset matters

Real Madrid is admired for its unwavering attitude and confidence in important matches. In their key La Liga battles against Girona and Barcelona, ​​they triumphed on every occasion. Ancelotti’s side thrashed Girona 3-0 in September in a show of strength and then crushed the Catalan minnows 4-0 in February to completely deflate their title aspirations. Against Barcelona, ​​Bellingham recorded extra-time wins in both league clashes, leading Madrid to a 2-1 away win in October and a 3-2 victory in April at the Santiago Bernabéu. And when Madrid didn’t play well in some of the quieter games, they at least managed to draw. “To win a League, the games you can’t win, you can’t lose either,” Ancelotti said.

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Durable defense

Real Madrid suffered multiple setbacks this season in defense with Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and David Alaba all sidelined with long-term injuries. Despite that, they have the strongest track record at the back in La Liga. Antonio Rudiger has stepped up his game to lead the defence, while right-back Dani Carvajal is in arguably the best form of his career. Defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has dropped into the defensive line seamlessly when necessary and always looked solid despite playing out of position. Players in the Madrid squad have also contributed at key moments, with Lucas Vázquez shining at right back in the recent Clásico.

carlo’s calls

Madrid coach Ancelotti has been right in his most important decisions this season. The manager’s first call was to deploy Bellingham as part of a triple attack with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, a role that his previous bosses had not envisaged for him. The Italian handled Rodrygo’s problems in front of goal well, maintaining confidence in the Brazilian, who decided to celebrate with his coach after ending his drought in November. Ancelotti has gradually eliminated the great Luka Modric, while continuing to call on him at the right moments. He kept the team’s players, including Brahim Díaz and Joselu, involved and hungry, and both scored against Cádiz on the day Madrid won La Liga.

(With inputs from AFP)