Real Madrid: José Mourinho has made decisions about the hierarchy

As Real Madrid officially kicks off its La Liga campaign this Saturday on Espanyol's turf, José Mourinho is gaining a clearer vision of his squad.

With five wins and a draw from six preseason friendlies, Real Madrid heads into its first away fixture against Espanyol riding an impressive wave of momentum. According to AS this Tuesday, Mourinho now sees the 4-2-3-1 formation as his tactical blueprint. This system is designed to accommodate his four untouchable attackers, as reported by our Spanish colleagues: Yan Diomandé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, and Kylian Mbappé. Notably, this quartet has yet to feature together in a friendly match.

José Mourinho is counting heavily on Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese maestro, who has been deployed both as a central midfielder and a wide playmaker at Manchester City, is set to play a hybrid role—a slot that Bellingham could also occupy during the season. In the double pivot, competition is expected to be fierce between Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, and Bernardo Silva for just two starting spots.

On the defensive line, AS reports that Cucurella will be an undisputed starter this season. On the right flank, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries will battle it out for the starting role. In central defense, with Éder Militão yet to return and Raúl Asencio still recovering, it's hard to predict which pairing Mourinho will select for Saturday's La Liga opener.

Read also: Manchester City: major revelations about Pep Guardiola's departure

Up front, the Diomandé-Bellingham-Vinícius-Mbappé foursome starts with a clear advantage. However, Arda Güler has made the most of his starts as a playmaker, notching two assists and proving that the 4-2-3-1 setup suits him perfectly—even though he has never played in that role since arriving in Spain. Brahim Díaz is emerging as a prime option on the right wing.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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