According to Goal.com, Cucurella voluntarily took on extensive defensive responsibilities to cover for Vinicius, but this exposed vulnerabilities on Real Madrid's left flank and significantly hampered his own attacking output.

Voluntarily taking on the "dirty work" or difficult tasks can sometimes backfire. Spanish newspaper Sport once reported that when Cucurella joined Real Madrid, it was in some ways equivalent to giving Vinicius a "blank check."

When Cucurella joined Real Madrid, he stated: "It doesn't matter if he doesn't defend; I'll do everything he doesn't want to do. As long as he can keep deciding matches and has enough energy to score goals, I'll handle all the hard work." But over time, this declaration quickly proved misleading.

While this statement seemed to express solidarity, reality on the pitch revealed a problem: there's a significant difference between covering spaces left by Vinicius due to his attacking freedom and genuinely defending the entire flank, which carries tactical risks.

Cucurella's start at left-back was not ideal. He encountered the same problems that arose last season in this position, particularly in the Madrid derby; the space between Cucurella and Huijsen became a critical vulnerability in Real Madrid's defense once again.

In LaLiga matches, Real Betis exploited incursions by Antony and Bellerín down the right to find space. Atlético Madrid coach Simeone, meanwhile, devised an attacking plan specifically targeting Real Madrid's left flank for the derby. Pubill, M. Llorente, Kang-in Lee, and Giuliano positioned themselves at different depths, leaving Cucurella in a bind: if he pressed the ball carrier, other players would attack the space behind him; if he held his position, Atlético could advance through midfield depth.

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

Cucurella faced the same dilemma: should he press the ball carrier or follow the opponent making a run into the space?

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

This statistic does not erase Cucurella's mistakes, but it explains why he frequently found himself in difficult situations. When defensive problems arise, fullbacks are often the first to be scrutinized, even though the issues typically originate several meters ahead of them.

Under Mourinho, Vinicius's numbers in defensive participation and ball recovery in the final third have improved. The difficulty is that once opponents break through the initial press, Vinicius, despite significant effort in attack, does not always drop back to cover and prevent opponents from advancing.

This sacrifice has also diminished the very qualities Real Madrid initially hoped to acquire from the player. So far, Cucurella has provided no assists in LaLiga; he is also overly cautious when advancing, because if he loses the ball, he may have to cover a long distance to return to a defensive position.

Cucurella's best form comes not as a fullback who must stay close to the center-backs, but when he can operate along the flank, make driving runs forward, and penetrate the attacking third.

This is how Cucurella earned his reputation with the Spanish national team. For years, Vinicius benefited from a tactical system specifically designed to give him freedom of movement: Ferland Mendy assumed the role of defensive anchor, Kroos stabilized the left flank, and Benzema dropped deep to link with Vinicius. Cucurella, who has more attacking intent than the French player, is now forced into a similar role but without the same protection.

Cucurella promised to do the work Vinicius did not want to do, to ensure the Brazilian could enter the area with full energy and be decisive there.

This is similar to a "mistake" that former coach Arbeloa once made: claiming he would spare Mbappé and other attacking teammates unnecessary running.

The problem is that while Cucurella waits for Vinicius to deliver decisive performances, he sacrifices part of his own output and assumes responsibilities that are not always within his core role. He volunteered to do the "dirty work," but ultimately suffered the consequences.

Traducido por IA.

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