There were smiles all around as Real Madrid celebrated their 36 La Liga title with their fans on Sunday afternoon (May 12). Los Blancos started their journey at City Hall, then greeted fans from their open-top bus en route to Plaza de Cibeles, and finally, captain Nacho Fernandez adorned goddess Cibeles’ iconic statue with a Real Madrid scarf and flag.
Every Real Madrid player and staff enjoyed every minute of the celebrations, and deservedly so. They had well and truly bested Barcelona and Co., winning the Spanish top-flight title with four games to spare. It came on the back of a masterful La Liga campaign, during which the team had to deal with several big injuries. Yet, Carlo Ancelotti and Co. prevailed, further increasing their lead to 26-time La Liga winners Barcelona.
Today, we will take a look a brief look at Real Madrid’s La Liga journey and discuss five factors that helped them come out on top. Let’s begin!
#5 Impactful Subs
Coach Carlo Ancelotti has not tinkered too much with his starting XI throughout the 2023-24 season, but he has given enough opportunities for benchwarmers to impress. Appreciating the rarity of these chances, the substitutes gave their all every time they walked out, delivering impressive performances.
Joselu Mato, Luka Modric, Brahim Diaz, and Eduardo Camavinga were all superb every time they came off the bench. Joselu and Diaz, in particular, were a class apart. The striker scored nine times and provided two assists in 33 games. Joselu only started 14 of those matches.
Diaz, meanwhile, forced Rodrygo to keep looking over his shoulder, as he ensured the Brazilian was not an automatic first choice for Carlo Ancelotti. The ex-Manchester City man played 30 La Liga games (17 starts), scoring eight times and claiming four assists.
#4 Carlo Ancelotti’s Adaptability
Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, and David Alaba were integral as Real Madrid completed the La Liga-Champions League double in the 2021-22 season. They were to play a key role once again this season, but calamity struck even before the 2023-24 La Liga campaign kicked off. World-class goalkeeper Courtois tore his ACL in training and was ruled out for months. On Matchday 1, Eder Militao also ruptured his ACL and joined Courtois on the treatment table. Lastly, Alaba suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Matchday 14, leaving Carlo Ancelotti in a massive pickle.
Cool as ever, Ancelotti instilled Nacho and Antonio Rudiger in the back line, and the pair barely put a foot wrong throughout the season. He also deployed Aurelien Tchouameni as a center-back when either of the two needed a breather or was unavailable. The same happened in the attack when Vinicius Jr. suffered an injury, with Joselu and Brahim Diaz filling in for him.
Ancelotti, who is the only coach in history to conquer all five European leagues, never lost his composure during the whole ordeal and eventually walked away with the title.
#3 Nacho, Kroos, Modric & Carvajal’s Leadership
Pepe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Marcelo, and Karim Benzema have all left Real Madrid by one. But the club have always found a way to flourish. Many expected Real Madrid’s young guns to struggle after Karim Benzema’s departure last summer, but Nacho, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Daniel Carvajal ensured they were well covered.
While Nacho and Carvajal helped organize the backline and supported Andriy Lunin, Modric and Kroos took the likes of Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, and Brahim Diaz under their wing. The team suffered together and thrived together, dancing their way to La Liga glory.
#1 Vinicius Jr.’s Maturity
Gone are the days when Vinicius Jr. used to lose his composure in the final third. Under Carlo Ancelotti, the Brazilian left-winger has emerged as one of the best players in the world, scoring sensational goals and providing assists at will.
Vinicius Jr. suffered two big injuries in the 2023-24 La Liga season, initially missing three games due to a hamstring problem and then five matches due to torn thigh muscle. Most players would have struggled to play their best game after recovering from such setbacks, but Vinicius Jr. is no ordinary man. He bounced back with aplomb, scoring eight goals and claiming four assists in 10 games since his thigh injury.
Vinicius Jr. has also been flying high in the UEFA Champions League, most notably scoring a brace against Bayern Munich in the semi-final first leg away from home. If he can produce another belter and help Madrid to the UEFA Champions League, he will firmly be in the running for the Ballon d’Or.
#1 The Brilliant Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid signed Jude Bellingham moments after the July transfer window opened for business last summer. The Whites liked what he saw from him at Borussia Dortmund and took a gamble on him. Fortunately for Madridistas, the 20-year-old did not take long to find his footing in the Spanish capital.
Alternating between playing at the top of Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield diamond and operating as an auxiliary nine, Bellingham got acquainted with his attacking prowess, and there has been no going back. Since the start of the 2023-24 La Liga campaign, Bellingham has featured in 26 games in La Liga this season, scoring 18 times and providing four assists. No Real Madrid player, including Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, has scored as many this season.
