Alvaro Carreras: Real Madrid s offensive and defensive core on the new season

When we look at modern football, its requirements for the full-back position are getting higher and higher and more comprehensive. A top full-back, he can no longer be just a simple defender like he used to be. He must have strong assists, abundant physical fitness, and the wisdom to understand and execute complex tactics. The Benfica left-back Alvaro Carreras, who is about to sign by Real Madrid, is a very typical all-around full-back who can fully meet the requirements of modern football. His joining will greatly enrich the tactical choices of new coach Xavi Alonso.

Let's analyze the technical characteristics of Carreras in detail. First of all, his most prominent advantage is his ability to travel in the sidewalk corridor with extremely impactful longitudinal return. He is tall, with excellent strength and speed. Data shows that last season, he completed a high-speed sprint (speed exceeding 25 kilometers per hour) among all the full-backs of the Portuguese Super League, ranking among the top three. This powerful running ability allows him to dribble the ball from his own half to the opponent's bottom line, providing the team with a continuous offensive width and threat.

But if he only crosses from the bottom, he is not a top modern full-back. What makes Carreras even more powerful is his "versatility" and "ball merchandising". Not only will he move along the sideline, he also has the ability to cut into the midfield and pass and organize in a smaller space on the ribs. This makes him very difficult to defend. More importantly, he is also competent for the role of the "left central defender" in the three central defender system. This ability gives head coach Alonso huge room to switch formations during the game. Real Madrid can make seamless and smooth switching between 4-4-2 and 3-5-2, making the opponent unable to defend.

Let's see how he will integrate into Real Madrid's new system. On Real Madrid's left side, there are two top attackers who like to act on the wing. This requires the left back behind him to have a very smart running awareness and cooperate with them instead of interfering with each other. Carreras showed this "intuition". When the winger cuts inward, he can decisively insert the edge; when the winger needs space, he can retreat or retract to pull space for his teammates.

We can imagine several ways of playing that Real Madrid may appear in the new season. For example, when Real Madrid controls the ball, Carreras can receive the midfield inside and form a three-back stand, so that he can free Arnold on the other side, allowing him to boldly press forward and assist, forming an asymmetric offensive formation. Or, when center back Dean Heisen is on the court, his excellent fill-up ability can completely cover the gap left by Carreras before and after, allowing Carreras to exert his most destructive wing impact ability without any scruples to form a link with Vinicius and Mbappe. Therefore, for Alonso, the introduction of Carreras is not only an excellent left-back, but also a crucial piece that can activate the tactical changes of the entire team.