Real Madrid started their 2021/22 La Liga campaign with an emphatic 4-1 away win against Alaves.
Carlo Ancelotti didn't try to reinvent the wheel and relied on the formation that Zinedine Zidane mostly used through the previous season — the 4-3-3. Here's what it looked like.
Real Madrid XI: Courtois - Vazquez, Militao, Nacho, Alaba - Casemiro, Valverde, Modric - Bale, Benzema, Hazard.
There are several decisions that are worth discussing. First of all, Ancelotti decided to play Alaba at left-back, with his other options being Nacho and youngster Miguel Guttierez.
The Austrian certainly didn't disappoint, as he was solid both offensively and defensively and even ended up with an assist. Although Nacho can do great at left-back as well, he's definitely not as attacking-minded as Alaba.
The coach's use of Bale and Hazard is quite interesting too. The two wingers didn't stick to the flanks but drifted towards the centre most of the time, which was a request from Ancelotti.
Their experience helped a lot under these circumstances, which could explain why Bale and Hazard were preferred ahead of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Finally, it should be noted that Valverde and Vazquez were favoured over Isco and Alvaro Odriozola in the absence of the regular starters, Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal.
