According to Goal.com, Mark Cucurella has voluntarily taken on defensive responsibilities to cover Vinícius Júnior, but this has exposed vulnerabilities on Real Madrid's left flank and impacted his own attacking contributions.

Taking on defensive duties sometimes backfires. Catalan newspaper Sport reported that soon after Mark Cucurella joined Real Madrid, he essentially gave Vinícius Júnior a free license of sorts.

After his move to Real Madrid, Mark Cucurella stated: "It's fine if he doesn't track back; I'll do all the work he doesn't want to do. As long as he keeps winning matches and has the energy to score goals, I'll handle all the hard work." However, this promise quickly proved unrealistic on the pitch.

While the statement seemed to express camaraderie, reality revealed a fundamental problem: there is a significant difference between covering spaces left open by Vinícius Júnior's freedom to roam and defending the entire flank, which also carries tactical risks.

Cucurella's start as a left-back has been problematic. He faces the same issues that plagued his position last season, particularly in the Madrid derby; the gap between Cucurella and centre-back Heisnece has again become a serious defensive vulnerability for Real Madrid.

In a La Liga match, Real Betis exploited the spaces created by Vinícius Júnior's attacking runs. Atlético Madrid coach Simone, meanwhile, designed an attacking plan for the derby specifically targeting Real Madrid's left flank. With players positioned at different depths—Publi, M. Llorente, Lee Kang-in, and Giuliano—Cucurella faced a dilemma: if he pressed the ball carrier, other players attacked the space behind him; if he held his position, Atlético could advance through the centre.

When Vinícius Júnior returned to the pitch, he did not demonstrate the required intensity and focus. After losing possession several times at the Metropolitano, he was reprimanded by coach Mourinho.

Cucurella faced his own dilemma: should he press the ball carrier or track opponents making runs into open space?

To compensate for being outnumbered, Valverde and Tchouaméni had to adjust their positions, which in turn opened up other areas. By the end of the derby, Cucurella made 14 defensive actions, more than any other player on the pitch.

This statistic doesn't erase Cucurella's mistakes, but it explains why he was constantly in difficult situations. When defensive problems arise, full-backs often become the first to be criticized, though the issue usually originates several metres ahead of them.

Under Mourinho, Vinícius Júnior's defensive work and ball recovery in the attacking third have improved. The difficulty is that once an opponent breaks the first line of press, Vinícius Júnior, despite great attacking effort, doesn't always drop back to cover and prevent the opposition's advance.

This sacrifice has also limited the attacking qualities Real Madrid originally hoped to acquire. To date, Cucurella has not provided a single assist in La Liga; he is also extremely cautious when advancing because losing possession would force him to cover significant ground to return to his defensive position.

Cucurella performs best not as a full-back who must stay close to centre-backs, but when he can operate across the entire flank, make deep runs, and enter the attacking third.

This is how Cucurella earned his reputation with the Spanish national team. At international tournaments, Spain has employed a tactical system specifically designed to give attacking players like him freedom to roam, with defensive cover provided by others. At Real Madrid, Ferland Mendy previously served as a defensive anchor, Kroos stabilized the left flank, and Benzema dropped deeper to link with attacking players. Cucurella, who is more attack-minded than Mendy, is now forced into that defensive role without the same protective structure.

Cucurella promised to do the work Vinícius Júnior didn't want to do, guaranteeing the Brazilian could attack the box with full intensity and make a decisive impact.

It's reminiscent of a mistake once made by a previous Real Madrid assistant: claiming to free attacking players from unnecessary defensive duties.

The problem is that while Cucurella waits for Vinícius Júnior to deliver match-winning performances, he is also sacrificing part of his own game and taking on tasks that aren't always part of his core responsibilities. He voluntarily does the hard work, but ultimately bears the consequences.

Переведено ИИ.

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