Mourinho’s preferred midfield double pivot at Real Madrid fails to deliver desired results so far

Jose Mourinho, the newly appointed head coach of Real Madrid, aimed to restore cohesion and understanding within the team upon taking over. He made an effort to reconcile Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, who had a contentious relationship last season. Mourinho employed them in a double pivot formation on several occasions, but the partnership has yet to gel.

Their combined performance has been disappointing in the two matches they started together against Elche and Atletico Madrid. In the Elche game, the duo played for 86 minutes, completing 78 passes together, with only 25 of those in the attacking third. Neither player made it into Real Madrid's top five for ball recoveries, and their overall playmaking was outdone by full-backs Marc Cucurella and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

During the Elche derby, the duo managed only 55 passes in 71 minutes, while Atletico's Koke, who played the second half, outdid them in passing. In the most recent match against Atletico Madrid, Valverde and Tchouameni produced just 55 passes, whereas Koke contributed more passes than the pair combined. Valverde and Tchouameni, however, excelled in ball recoveries, with Tchouameni making five and Valverde four in the derby.

The personal relationship between the two has mended, with the pair embracing after Tchouameni's return from injury and Valverde applauding his teammate's introduction against Rayo Vallecano. Despite this, Real Madrid's midfield stability and composure remains a concern, and Mourinho's coaching staff see Tchouameni as a source of order and stability.

However, the pairing has failed to deliver the balance and progress required in the heart of the park. It will be intriguing to observe how Mourinho attempts to find the right formula in midfield when the season resumes next month.