Atlas Radar: How Real Madrid is redistributing the workload in the center

Atlas Radar compiled 112 possession sequences from Real Madrid’s last three games and found that the role swaps between Valverde and Camavinga don’t occur randomly, but rather following specific signals. As soon as the team records two consecutive unsuccessful advances through the left halfspace, Camavinga drops to the center backs, and Fede moves higher, creating a 3-1-4-2 asymmetry. This increases the pressing-resistance index to 0.74, allowing them to press opponents through short triangles.

Our workload data shows that Valverde’s total volume of intense periods as a number six is ​​18% higher than that of traditional defensive midfielders. This explains why Ancelotti rotates his position so frequently: he’s able to sprint back and close down space when space is lost, thereby maintaining a high PPDA while simultaneously opening up a lane for Rodrigo. In real-time, this means relying on his accurate passing is justified in any scenario involving an early goal.

Camavinga, on the other hand, has a different profile—41% of all progressive passes go through him when he drops into a line with the center-backs. The load chart shows that in these moments, Real Madrid more often looks for long diagonal passes to Venicius, and the odds for the opponent’s corners drift noticeably. Therefore, we identify a «dual pivot» trigger when both midfielders swap positions more than three times per half: the total passes market immediately responds by reducing the margin.