Madrid’s derby week carried a 2-1 Atlético de Madrid victory over Real Madrid in the seventh round of La Liga, while Marc Cucurella offered a view from inside the dressing room of a side still trying to turn its attacking talent into a fully connected unit. The Spanish full-back said Vinicius Junior is working hard for the collective as their partnership on the flank develops under competitive pressure.
A new partnership on the left
Cucurella said there had been almost no opportunity to build an understanding with Vinicius before the campaign began. Rather than using training matches to establish patterns, the pair entered official competition quickly, leaving both players to learn each other’s movements during a crowded fixture schedule.
- Vinicius must become familiar with a different left-back after playing alongside other players in that role.
- Cucurella believes the relationship will require patience and gradual improvement.
- The defender praised the Brazilian’s willingness to contribute beyond his most natural attacking strengths.
“It is not simple,” Cucurella said. “Opponents have their own plans and we are still putting the details together. Vinicius and I had virtually no training games before competition started. It is different for him to link with me than with the full-backs he had previously.”
He added that he likes what he has seen from Vinicius, particularly his commitment to the team. “I see him trying to do his job for the side. That is a very good starting point.”
Speed can leave the full-backs behind
The challenge, Cucurella explained, is not a shortage of attacking force. Vinicius, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham can turn a regained ball into a shooting opportunity in seconds, often before the defenders have had time to support the move from deeper areas.
“When I want to get forward, sometimes they have gone so quickly that the shot has already come,” he said. “Vinicius, Mbappé and Bellingham love to run. When we win possession, the ball is immediately moving forward.”
That instinct, he said, can make it harder for the full-backs to reach the byline. Cucurella believes Real need certain phases in which they retain possession for longer, allowing the whole team to establish itself in the opposition half and remain closer together if the ball is lost.
Finding the right distances
Cucurella rejected the suggestion that the forwards alone are responsible when the lines of the team become stretched. From his defensive perspective, he said the back line must advance more rapidly when the front players break forward.
“If I were Vinicius or Mbappé, every time I received the ball I would want to drive forward and score,” he said. “At times we are too far apart, but that is not their fault. It is also on us to push up faster.”
- Real Madrid are seeking a better balance between immediate transitions and controlled possession.
- The squad had limited time in pre-season to work through its collective mechanisms.
- Video sessions and training are being used to identify when to accelerate and when to keep the ball.
- Cucurella sees room for the group to improve as the season progresses.
He said every member of the squad recognises there are areas to refine. Players are acting with positive intentions—attackers trying to score, defenders trying to protect the team and midfielders trying to organise play—but Real must become clearer about the moments to attack at speed, circulate possession and recover with the ball.
Cucurella described the squad as united and said the aim is to arrive in the decisive months of the season as a more settled, better-connected team.
