The ghost of Kroos and Modric haunts Real Madrid: has Mourinho found the long-awaited replacement?
The numbers don't lie
Real Madrid's return to the right path under Jose Mourinho was not merely the result of tactical tweaks or the coach's movements from the touchline. It also owed much to several players rediscovering their form, with the team showing a different face since their strong revival in Rome. One name caught the eye above the rest during this period. Portugal's Bernardo Silva gradually became one of the key elements in the coach's plans, thanks to his multiple roles and his ability to give the midfield the balance it had lacked for a long time.
Silva's brilliance at the Camp Nou against Barcelona owed nothing to chance. It came as the result of gradual work by Mourinho, who waited for the right moment to hand the player a place in the starting line-up. The coach had realised that making the most of his abilities was not about placing him in a traditional attacking position, but about deploying him in a deeper area, where he can influence the build-up play, win the ball back and control the rhythm of matches.
Mourinho handled the Bernardo Silva question with patience, resisting any rush to use him as a starter despite the wealth of attacking options at his disposal, several of whom surpass the Portuguese star for speed and physical strength, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.
Having studied the team's needs, the coach concluded that the best way to benefit from Silva's abilities was to deploy him within the midfield, handing him deeper roles alongside Valverde and Tchouameni. The idea was to address some of the problems in Real Madrid's approach, especially around playing the ball out and organising possession.
This role was anything but easy. It demands significant physical effort and constant movement between the lines, as well as defensive responsibilities in an area where the battles for the ball are fierce. That is why Mourinho preferred to wait until the Portuguese reached peak physical condition before relying on him regularly in the starting line-up.
Fears had circulated before the clash with Barcelona about the Catalans' ability to impose control through their midfield, one of their most prominent weapons. What happened at the Camp Nou reflected the success of Mourinho's ideas, with Real Madrid limiting their opponent's influence in important areas through the organisation and movement of their players, Silva chief among them.
An unexpected defensive role: Silva shackles Barcelona's keys
The standout feature of Bernardo Silva's display against Barcelona was his remarkable defensive commitment. He put in a huge shift pressing and covering spaces, closing the passing angles for Rodri and Pedri to stop them controlling the rhythm and building attacks with ease.
His influence stretched beyond defensive duties. It also showed in building attacks from the back, a task that gave him added value within Mourinho's system, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.
Thanks to his movements and his ability to retain the ball under pressure, Real Madrid could play out in a more organised manner from their defensive areas. His presence also eased the burden on Aurelien Tchouameni, whether by sharing the build-up duties or by offering extra passing options, which lifted the French midfielder's performance.
During pre-season, Mourinho had flagged that Bernardo Silva needed more time to reach his best level after returning from the holiday period short of condition, which prompted the coach to take his time before handing him the role he wanted.
That wait now appears to be bearing fruit. The player has recovered his readiness and can carry out the complex roles his Portuguese coach demands.
Possession figures reveal Bernardo Silva's impact
Technical indicators alone could not capture the scale of the improvement Bernardo Silva has brought to Real Madrid's midfield. The possession figures tell the story. They reveal a clear difference in the team's performance with him on the pitch.
Mourinho had spotted the signs during the matches against Sevilla and Leipzig, after the Portuguese got the chance to start the latter, and his impact showed clearly in the team's ability to keep the ball, even in a first half where Real Madrid were below their best against the German side.
Real Madrid's average possession sits at 57 per cent with Bernardo Silva on the pitch, according to the figures provided, compared with 47 per cent in his absence, while the team's overall average for the season reaches 52 per cent.
Certain matches make these numbers stand out even more. Real Madrid had 62 per cent possession against Leipzig, whereas the figure did not exceed 46 per cent against Roma, a match in which Silva played only the last 20 minutes.
Barcelona proved a clear exception. Real Madrid's possession reached only 37 per cent in a match that imposed different calculations because of the strength of the opponent and the nature of the encounter. Even so, it did not stop the team achieving its goal and coming away with a positive result.
These indicators show that Silva's presence hands Real Madrid an additional option on the ball, whether by easing the passing or by offering ways out of the pressure, as well as his ability to link the lines, qualities the team had lacked at times.
A replacement for Kroos and Modric: Mourinho finds the solution within the team
With no new deal on the table to reinforce the midfield, whether by signing Rodri or a player of similar profile, Bernardo Silva has emerged as one of the most prominent solutions available to Mourinho to rebuild a position still searching for a clear identity after the golden era of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Mourinho had viewed the signing of the Portuguese as an important addition thanks to his versatility and his ability to occupy more than one position, whether in the advanced attacking areas, behind the forwards or out wide.
Recent developments have revealed a completely different way to use him. The coach found that the best way to harness his abilities in the current period lies in deploying him within the midfield, with greater defensive and organisational responsibilities.
This shift did not affect Silva alone. It also freed Arda Guler from some of the duties that were blunting his attacking threat, giving him more space to roam in the advanced areas and create chances, as shown clearly during the clash with Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Mourinho, it seems, has found in Bernardo Silva an important piece for reshaping Real Madrid's midfield, not only for his technical skills and his ability to keep the ball, but also for his tactical discipline and his willingness to carry out roles that may not always show up in the traditional statistics.
After a spell searching for the lost balance in midfield, the solution Real Madrid need may already exist within the squad. It lies in a player once used to making the difference going forward, now a key to defensive stability and control of the rhythm.
