Three solutions to the left-side problem that Mourinho must address at Real Madrid

The 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Sunday left a poor impression beyond the result itself. Real Madrid's drop in intensity during the second half — a recurring pattern this season — was troubling enough. But the match also highlighted an underlying structural problem that predates Jose Mourinho's arrival at the club: the tactical congestion caused by Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior converging on the left side of the pitch.

Vinicius Junior has owned the left flank since the Carlo Ancelotti era, when the Italian boss built much of Real Madrid's attacking play around the Brazilian and developed him into a Ballon d'Or contender in 2023-24. Since Mbappe arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu the following summer, however, the Frenchman's tendency to drift wide left rather than remain central has created a persistent problem — one that SofaScore's average position data made starkly visible in both the Atletico defeat and the 3-2 victory over Elche that preceded the international break.

Real Madrid: what Mbappe and Vinicius Junior's left-side dominance is actually costing

Having a preferred side of the pitch to attack is not unusual, and not problematic in itself. Almost every team concentrates danger through one channel rather than three equally. The issue for Mourinho's side is the imbalance that the two players' shared preference creates.

When Mbappe drifts into the zone occupied by Vinicius Junior, the central attacking area is vacated. Real Madrid's shape must shift left to provide support for both, giving opponents the opportunity to compact their defensive block and channel everything into the wide area — where the space is naturally narrower and individual duels are more difficult to win.

Without Mbappe occupying a threat in the box — making runs in behind, pulling defenders across — opposition sides find it straightforward to compress and defend. This partly explains Vinicius Junior's subdued performances so far this season and his increased defensive responsibility under Mourinho. His own individual form has also been inconsistent, but the competition for space on the left is making a difficult situation considerably harder.

Real Madrid: the weakened right side and the wider consequences

The right flank has suffered as a direct consequence. Brahim Diaz and Arda Guler — both used on that side by Mourinho — tend to cut inside when they receive the ball rather than driving wide and crossing. Jude Bellingham contributes from deep as a late runner into the area. Neither provides the same width and directness that Vinicius Junior offers on the left.

Players compensate by shifting centrally, which creates further collective disorganisation and makes the task of defending in a deep block even simpler for opponents. Against lower-ranked opposition, Mourinho has used Carlos Espi from the bench as an emergency solution. The physically imposing centre-forward has contributed decisive goals precisely because he fulfils the central role that Mbappe vacates when he drifts wide — occupying defenders and stretching the defensive line aerially. Against better-organised opponents, the lack of genuine right-side threat becomes more costly and the left-side predictability compounds the problem.

Real Madrid: why simply switching the attackers' positions does not work

The intuitive solution — put Mbappe through the middle and move Vinicius Junior to the right — is more complicated than it appears. It creates its own tactical problem in the defensive phase.

Mbappe has improved his pressing and ball-winning activity since the World Cup, and Mourinho can reasonably ask him to press opposing centre-backs and win the ball in high blocks. That is a manageable request. Asking him to track wide attackers back behind the defensive line as a left-wing duty — absorbing the physical load of a conventional wide player doing defensive shuttle runs — is an entirely different demand. Freeing him of that responsibility would simply give opponents a straight corridor to exploit on the left whenever Real Madrid transition.

Real Madrid: the three possible answers to Mourinho's dilemma

The first option is a greater role for Yan Diomande, who is still adapting to Spanish football after his summer move from RB Leipzig. The Ivory Coast winger has the pace to drive at defenders on the outside and the two-footedness to be effective on the right — providing something close to the threat Vinicius Junior brings on the opposite flank. The second goal against Elche showed exactly that potential, with Federico Valverde releasing Diomande in behind before his low cutback found Mbappe to finish.

The second option is imposing stricter positional discipline on Mbappe himself — not banning him from the wide area, but making it clear that his primary location must be central, where he will have the most productive positions to finish or to create space for the wide players to exploit.

The third option — and the least likely for reasons that extend beyond tactics — is starting one of Mbappe or Vinicius Junior from the bench. Both players' wider influence on the squad, their commercial profiles and the internal dynamics of a dressing room containing two of the most prominent names in global football all make that kind of selection decision an extremely difficult one to sustain over a season.

One thing is certain: it falls to Mourinho to find the answer. Deflecting the question by criticising referees, as the Portuguese boss has done at various points this campaign, will not bring the trophies that Real Madrid expect.