The Real Deal: A Real Madrid Podcast

Barcelona’s start to the season has put one of Real Madrid’s great teams back in the conversation.

Sid is joined by Dom from Dom’s Tactics Lab to compare Hansi Flick’s current Barcelona with Mourinho’s 2011/12 Madrid side and ask whether the 100-point season and La Liga goals record are genuinely under threat.

They break down Raphinha’s absurd start, the lack of a traditional No. 9, Fermín López’s role attacking the box, Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s new signings and the weaknesses that could eventually slow them down.

Then they get into Rodri’s impact on Barcelona’s possession structure, what he has changed for Pedri, why Barça’s passing numbers have jumped, and the contrast with a Real Madrid side increasingly willing to concede the ball under Mourinho.

Plus: where Barcelona still need reinforcements, the importance of their left center-back position, and what this early-season form could actually look like by April and May.

Monthly Real Deal x Dom’s Tactics Lab crossover.

Timestamps:
00:00 Sid welcomes Dom back to The Real Deal
01:42 Can Flick’s Barcelona break Mourinho’s 2012 Madrid records?
04:00 Barça’s scoring pace vs Mourinho’s 2011/12 Real Madrid
04:50 Raphinha’s ridiculous start to the season
07:07 Raphinha vs Mbappé and what makes Barça’s attack work
10:07 Fermín López, Jude Bellingham and life without a No. 9
13:29 Comparing Barcelona’s attack to Ronaldo, Benzema and Higuaín
15:49 Why the 100-point record is much harder to break
16:42 Barcelona’s biggest weaknesses and injury risks
19:52 Rodri’s impact and Real Madrid’s possession problem
22:18 How Rodri has changed Pedri and Barcelona’s passing structure
24:38 Can Barça actually sustain this into April and May?

Jude Bellingham continues to produce dominant performances for England. Arda Güler continues to look like one of the most talented young playmakers in the world.

So why isn’t Real Madrid building around them?

Jarod Hector (@JarodHector) and Loconte (@Loconteee) discuss why Bellingham and Güler should become the central pieces of Real Madrid’s next team, how their strengths complement each other, and what that would mean for Vinícius Jr., Kylian Mbappé, Yan Diomande and the rest of the attack.

They also get into Bellingham’s leadership, Madrid’s obsession with hierarchy, why Arda keeps getting sacrificed tactically, and the bigger problem facing the club: a team this talented still struggles to control matches with the ball.

Real Madrid have the pieces. The question is whether they’re building around the right ones.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:00 Bellingham dominates for England
02:27 Why isn’t Madrid built around Jude?
04:55 What is Bellingham’s best position?
06:01 Madrid are asking Jude to do everything
07:07 Are Madrid building around the wrong stars?
08:17 Build around Bellingham and Güler
10:10 Why Jude and Arda complement each other
12:30 Who is Real Madrid’s real leader?
14:39 The bizarre Bellingham debate in England
17:17 Why Arda keeps getting sacrificed
18:05 Building the ideal Madrid attack
19:00 Madrid’s coaching and structural problem
20:42 “Treasure the ball”
23:11 Final thoughts

Vinicius Jr.’s struggles are becoming increasingly difficult for Real Madrid to ignore.
Jarod Hector (@JarodHector) and Loconte (@Loconteee) break down Vini’s declining dribbling output, whether he can still function as an elite left winger, and the case for moving him inside while Kylian Mbappé takes over the left.
They also discuss Diomande forcing his way into the conversation, the structural problems that remain even if Vinicius changes positions, and one massive hypothetical: if Erling Haaland ever became available, should Real Madrid make the move?
Would Mbappé and Haaland actually work together? And if Haaland arrived, what would that mean for Vinicius?
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:08 Vinicius struggles with Brazil
02:40 Can Real Madrid keep starting Vini?
03:36 Should Vinicius move to No. 9?
05:58 Vini’s declining winger numbers
08:08 Mbappé left, Vinicius through the middle?
09:33 Real Madrid’s superstar hierarchy problem
11:02 Why Mbappé may belong on the left
12:13 Diomande is forcing the issue
15:21 Could Haaland become available?
17:39 Would Mbappé + Haaland actually work?
20:32 Would Haaland mean Vinicius has to leave?
22:13 How Haaland could transform Madrid’s attack

Is Real Madrid being built around Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham?
Sid (@agarthasid) and Loconte (@Loconteee) break down how José Mourinho has changed the Mbappé-Bellingham partnership, what the numbers reveal about their roles, and why the two stars are beginning to look far more complementary than they did under previous managers.
We dig into Mbappé and Bellingham’s advanced stats, their year-over-year changes, Jude’s defensive workload and playmaking growth, Mbappé’s shot volume and attacking role, and the distance-covered statistics that have been circulating around Real Madrid.
We also discuss what Madrid could look like with Mbappé, Bellingham and Diomande together, the problems created by carrying multiple defensive liabilities, and what Mourinho’s choices could mean for Vinícius Jr. and Arda Güler after the international break.
Hosts:
Sid (@agarthasid)
Loconte (@Loconteee)

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
01:01 Is Real Madrid built around Mbappé & Bellingham?
02:29 How Mourinho fixed the Mbappé-Bellingham problem
04:36 What Mourinho changed tactically
06:14 Mbappé vs Bellingham: the FotMob numbers
08:35 Bellingham’s defensive impact
10:34 Why Jude looks physically different
13:03 Mbappé & Jude: year-over-year changes
15:17 How Bellingham’s playmaking has changed
17:55 The best attacking setup for Madrid
19:46 Are people too critical of Mbappé’s finishing?
21:36 Who is actually Madrid’s most valuable player?
22:15 The truth about Real Madrid’s distance-covered stats
23:45 Can Madrid carry two defensive liabilities?
25:42 Mbappé + Jude + Diomande: Madrid’s best front line?
26:29 Real Madrid’s elite dribblers
28:29 Final thoughts

Real Madrid lose 2-1 to Atlético Madrid in the derby, and Jarod Hector (@jshector), Loconte (@Loconteee) and Siddharth Ramsundar (@TacticalFouling) break down why it happened and how much the referees played a role.
Madrid created almost nothing, struggled to control the ball and were repeatedly exposed when Atlético played through them. We get into Mourinho’s approach, Vinícius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé’s defensive responsibilities, Arda Güler being crowded out on the right, Jude Bellingham’s performance and Dean Huijsen’s costly red card.
Then there’s the bigger question coming out of the derby: does Mourinho finally have to change his preferred XI?
Yan Diomande made another case for more minutes, Vinícius struggled to influence the game, and Madrid now enter the international break six points behind Barcelona with serious questions about how this team should play going forward.
A full postgame breakdown of Atlético Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Atlético beat Madrid again
03:56 Did Madrid’s summer signings actually fix anything?
05:32 Refereeing, Atlético fouls and the derby mentality
09:01 Madrid played with no aggression
09:39 Vinícius and Mbappé’s defensive problem
13:26 Why Mbappé moved toward Vinícius’ side
17:04 Atlético take control in the second half
19:33 Huijsen’s red card and Madrid’s defensive collapse
23:18 Was this worse than last season’s 5-2?
26:17 Mourinho’s transition-first football gets exposed
29:18 Mourinho blames the refereeing after the loss
33:32 Did Mourinho handle ten men correctly?
38:59 Cucurella vs Carreras and Madrid’s fullback problem
43:03 Yan Diomande makes his case to start
45:24 Is Mourinho finally going to bench Vinícius?
49:15 Could Mourinho actually be sacked midseason?
54:55 The Vinícius problem may be bigger than Madrid admits
57:57 Closing thoughts + what’s coming during the break

Hosts: Jarod Hector (@jshector), Loconte (@Loconteee) and Siddharth Ramsundar (@TacticalFouling)