Three questions and three answers from Real Madrid 2-0 Atalanta, UEFA Super Cup 2024

Real Madrid reacted to their defeat to Lille by securing a comfortable 2-0 win over Villarreal which was marred by a serious injury to Dani Carvajal. Before the right-back was forced off on a stretcher, there had been an impressive goal in each half with two strikes from distance from Fede Valverde and Vinícius Júnior, firing pinpoint finishes into the bottom left and top right corners to give Los Blancos a huge three points to remain only three points adrift of FC Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.

Three answers

1. Would Thibaut Courtois be missed?

This would be Andriy Lunin’s first appearance in La Liga this season after Thibaut Courtois picked up a muscle injury against Atlético Madrid, and the Ukrainian did well to ensure that the Belgian’s absence was not pivotal. Against Lille he was test little as Jonathan David’s penalty was powerful and well-placed, and even if Lunin had dived the right way he would have had a tough task to stop it. Other than that moment from the spot, Lunin was only really called upon once with an impressive double save from David to deny his header and the follow up. Against Villarreal, he was forced into only one save, a comfortable one to deny Nicolas Pépé from outside the box. The wait for a real test for the Ukrainian will now continue, but he certainly won’t have to wait long after the international break.

2. What Eduardo Camavinga be ready to start two games in a row?

After missing the start of the season due to an injury which looked as though it could have been even worse, Eduardo Camavinga returned to action in midweek against Lille and surprised some by starting another game only a few days later against Villarreal. The Frenchman looked to be in good condition physically, playing 71 minutes, four more than he managed in France on Wednesday night. He won more duels than anyone else on the field with six, and won more tackles than anyone else with three. His return adds options for Carlo Ancelotti, and he’s hit the ground running with his strong displays. The use of the double pivot with Camavinga was an intriguing one, and could reflect Ancelotti’s thinking going forward as well, building some midfield stability and allowing the team to begin to dominate in the middle of the park in a way in which they have not been able to do all season without Camavinga in the side.

3. Would Carlo Ancelotti go full strength to bounce back from defeat?

Criticism of Real Madrid has mounted in the past week after the defeat to Lille, and there was expectation that Carlo Ancelotti could field his strongest possible line-up in order to bounce back against a Villarreal side who have already proven a strong opponent this season for many of Real Madrid’s rivals. Instead, he did rotate slightly. Éder Militão suffered an injury worry which saw Aurélien Tchouameni dropped into defence, while Luka Modrić was preferred in a midfield diamond to Rodrygo Goes in a front three. The changes showed perhaps a lack of certainty or confidence in what is, on paper at least, Real Madrid’s strongest possible line-up. Reverting to veterans like Modrić when under pressure is nothing new from Ancelotti, but does reflect that this could continue to be a tricky few months for the likes of Rodrygo, Endrick Felipe and Arda Güler.

Three questions

1. How bad is the injury to Dani Carvajal?

The scenes of Dani Carvajal screaming in pain on the field were hard to watch for anyone, let alone Real Madrid fans who know the right-back’s difficult injury history which he seemed to have overcome. This was a moment of terrible luck and bad fortune, and no blame can be assigned to Villarreal’s Yeremy Pino, but one which could be career-altering. Carvajal has now suffered three different injuries, to his anterior cruciate ligament, tendon and minuscus, and experts doubt that he will ever be able to return to his previous levels of performance. That is simply devastating for Real Madrid. The club’s decision to honour a contract extension shows their decency, but it seems inevitable that we may have seen the last of a world class Carvajal.

2. And Vinícius?

The injury to Dani Carvajal deep in injury time meant that many of us were left almost forgetting that Vinícius Júnior was forced off by injury with a shoulder problem. It was later confirmed that this was in fact a neck injury, and the forward was withdrawn from the Brazil squad as a result. The injury is a minor one though, and he should be available for Real Madrid’s fixtures after the return from the international break with some major fixtures coming up. In some ways, it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Real Madrid to allow him rest and recover with a break in his schedule.

3. How will Carlo Ancelotti use these next two weeks?

With a break due to international duty, Carlo Ancelotti now has two weeks to work on the training ground. The bad news is that many of his first team regulars will be vanishing to join their national teams, and he’ll be left with the barebones, but it does give him an opportunity to reflect and analyse what’s been going right and what’s been going wrong. Many of the issues Real Madrid have had in recent weeks have been consistent, and this period can give a chance to identify how to improve those. In-form Celta Vigo, then Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund and La Liga leaders FC Barcelona await after the international break.