What is the best Real Madrid defensive lineup in the second half of the season if David Alaba is ready to start for the Royal Whites after more than a year on the sidelines with a serious knee injury?
Real Madrid star center back David Alaba is expected to return from injury in January, based on information revealed by manager Carlo Ancelotti at the team’s press conference following a 4-2 win over Sevilla.
Meanwhile, other reports are a little less optimistic, believing Alaba may need until March to return to his best level, implying that it may take an extended period of training in January in order for the Austrian star to be able to start for the team again.
Currently, Real Madrid are down to just one senior center back in the side after Eder Militao’s second ACL tear in two seasons, as converted midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has been starting alongside reigning FIFA The Best XI player Antonio Rudiger.
Before that, Raul Asencio had started three games for Real Madrid at center back, with the 21-year-old prospect actually outshining Tchouameni – and even Rudiger.
It’s unclear if Alaba will be 100 percent ever after tearing his ACL, and Real Madrid can’t know if they are able to count on the 32-year-old center back. It’s especially concerning that Alaba has been out for longer than expected, as he was initially set to return in October.
But if Alaba can get healthy again and start games as a trusted player for Ancelotti, here’s how the star of the 2021/22 defense that won LaLiga and the Champions League could change the Real Madrid defensive lineup for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
LB Ferland Mendy
David Alaba technically isn’t a true center back, since he actually began his career as a midfielder and a left back for Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim more than a decade ago.
But he has been playing as a central defender for the last five years, as Hansi Flick converted him in the 2019/20 season to great success, with Alaba forming the foundation of a team that won the treble – and hasn’t won the Champions League since his departure.
So, if anything, having Alaba starting over Tchouameni could lead Ancelotti to give more starts to the more attacking Fran Garcia, but, ultimately, it’s hard to argue that Garcia is a better starter than Mendy.
Even though Mendy is a disaster on the ball, Fran hasn’t been as big of an upgrade as anticipated. Furthermore, he can shut down top wingers, and even with Alaba back in the fold, the Real Madrid defense is still the weakest part of this team.
LCB David Alaba
Since David Alaba is a left-footed player and has always started as a left-sided center back during his Bayern Munich and Real Madrid careers, it makes the most sense for him to slot back into his most comfortable position in the Real Madrid defensive lineup.
That means Real will have to kick Rudiger over to the right side of the defense, but that’s how things shook out anyway in the 2023/24 season after Militao’s first ACL tear – and before Alaba tore his own ACL.
Real Madrid need to do whatever they can to help Alaba feel comfortable as he reintegrates into football in general – not just the team itself – and he’ll likely function as a quarterbacking, covering defender.
It’s unclear how much juice Alaba has left in the tank, and the concern around Madrid is that it’s very little, given the arduous nature of his recovery process. He may never be the adventurous defender making forays into the final third, so while Real have a need at left back, too, Alaba is very likely to stick at center back.
One more thing: Alaba is going to have to change his game in order to remain relevant in Madrid. He has to become more of a Raphael Varane-type player who covers for others’ mistakes and sits back. If he can do that, he can be a bigger asset to the club than even before.
RCB Antonio Rudiger
Antonio Rudiger is the most key player in the Real Madrid defense right now, and after Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, you could argue that he is the most important outfielder on the team due to Real’s defensive predicament.
He’s been less brilliant than last season, but like 2023/24, perhaps Rudiger will save his most marquee performances for the business end of the campaign. Nobody can forget how he shut down Erling Haaland in the Champions League knockouts last season, of course.
Rudiger will have to feel out his best role if he starts next to Alaba, because there are a lot of “What ifs?” when it comes to projecting the Austrian’s future role. But if Alaba is able to start, Rudiger will have to adjust his role and how much he gambles depending on how much Alaba is able to cover for him.
RB Lucas Vazquez
Eder Militao and David Alaba aren’t the only Real Madrid defenders currently out with torn ACLs, as the best right back in the world, Dani Carvajal, tore his early in the 2024/25 season after being one of the best players in the entire world in 2023/24.
Although Real Madrid have been coaching up Raul Asencio at right back, Raul should be staying at center back and will probably prove to be a better starter than Alaba anyway.
Regardless, if Alaba and Rudiger is a defensive partnership again, then Vazquez is the best option on the right side, especially with Mendy playing a more defensive role on the left.
As his performance against Sevilla showed, Vazquez is very much an asset to this team despite his flaws, as he works hard on both ends of the pitch and does a ton to create chances and progress play. He’s the best option Real has at right back with Carvajal.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at kparvizi19[at]gmail.com.