Between the prolific forward line and the successfully patched-up defence, everything has been knitted together by arguably the best midfield in football in terms of both quality and quantity.
At the other end of the age scale from Bellingham, Luka Modric is now a peripheral presence and may well leave the club at the end of the season. However, the 38-year-old can still be relied upon to deliver top quality when required, such as a memorable 20-yard winner against Sevilla in February.
Modric’s old ally Toni Kroos is showing no sign of slowing down, producing one of the best seasons of his career with his metronomic passing and ability to resist pressure still as good as anyone’s – he has played more passes into the final third than any other player in La Liga.
Dynamic Uruguayan Federico Valverde leads Real in league minutes played, and has demonstrated great adaptability to fill a deeper role following the arrival of Bellingham. Young French duo Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni complete Ancelotti’s enviable half-dozen of top-class midfielders, combining elegance and steel in equal measure, along with enough versatility enough to occasionally fill gaps in the back four.
With their combination of goals from various sources, an adaptable defence and an incomparable midfield, all astutely controlled by an unflappable manager, Real are as close to a complete team as it gets.
They can play effectively in different styles – dominating possession and pressing high; sitting deep and defending diligently; counter-attacking with speed and purpose – and still possess arguably their greatest quality of all: the self-belief to find a way to win when the going gets tough.
That cocktail of individual and collective qualities has been mixed together to give Ancelotti’s men the domestic title with a rare degree of comfort, and could also soon see them, yet again, crowned kings of Europe.
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