Player Focus: James Rodriguez and Isco Do Battle for Final Madrid Midfield Berth

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is a happy man ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Atletico Madrid.

For the first time all season Ancelotti has a fully fit galactico-rich squad to choose from. At various times this season injuries to key players including Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Luka Modric have made choosing the team – and keeping his big names happy – relatively easy for the genial Italian.

Now he has harder calls to make. These are the type of selection decisions which most coaches in world football would dream about, however they also generate plenty of heated debate in the local Madrid sports media. Lots of Blancos fans and pundits feel that Bale should be the player to miss out but, for whatever reason, the 100 million euro favourite of president Florentino Perez is always in the XI when fit.

Cristiano Ronaldo is obviously untouchable; Karim Benzema has no direct replacement in the squad; Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are also well ahead of the other ‘natural’ midfield options in the Madrid squad. That leaves Isco and James Rodriguez fighting for one spot in the middle of Ancelotti’s 4-3-3, even if Ancelotti denies the situation is quite so close cut.

“They both could play, they have done so together many times,” the Italian coach said last week. “It is not a debate between Isco and James, it is about a squad which is in very good condition at the moment. James is doing very well in his first year. Isco has played some fantastic games this season. So it is really difficult for the coach to say who is best. I can just say I have the good fortune to have two players of this quality, who can play different positions on the pitch.”

Despite Ancelotti’s protests, it is clear that -- with Bale basically undroppable -- either the Colombian or the Spaniard must miss out. And it is a tough call, with both being similar players in many ways - number 10s who have admirably adapted their game to play in a deeper position in Madrid’s 4-3-3.

Isco’s shy smile and ability to glide past opponents in tight spaces have brought regular comparisons with a young Andres Iniesta, and the 22-year-old is hugely popular with fans and pundits around the Bernabeu. Even supporters of other clubs have warmed to the young Spain international, who regularly gets ovations from entire crowds when Madrid play away from home.

James arrived last summer as more of an international star – on the back of his phenomenal performances for Colombia at the World Cup, and with an 80 million euro price-tag. The 23-year-old settled pretty quickly in Madrid, but has suffered two fairly serious injuries through recent months, allowing Isco the chance to play regularly and become something of a local media darling.

So, subjectively, it seems both players have legitimate claim to a starting spot. Isco has 3 goals and 8 assists in 21 starts (and seven sub appearances) in La Liga. He has been named man of match twice, on the way to a 7.37 overall rating so far this term. Most recently he was excellent in Madrid’s 3-0 win at home to Eibar on Saturday, garnering a 9.24 rating, and he was extremely unfortunate not to score with a typically arrowed 20-yard strike which hit both posts but somehow stayed out.

At first glance James’ stats are pretty similar, albeit with more of a goal threat. The former Porto and Monaco player has 9 goals and 9 assists in just 22 La Liga apps (all starts). He has been man of the match twice, with a 7.79 overall rating, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo among the Madrid squad. He was also excellent in his most recent appearance, scoring a fine strike from the edge of the box on the way to a score of 8.07 in the 2-0 win at Rayo Vallecano last Wednesday.

That was James’ second game in four days, having returned from a broken foot suffered in early February. His first match back was the 9-1 win over Granada the previous Saturday.

“[James'] game was very good, you did not notice that he had been out for two months,” Ancelotti said after that game. “He played well, with quality, intensity, and he is now used to playing in this position. He helped us, as he is a player who 'verticalises' the play, always has ideas.”

That notion of James as someone who quickly moves the ball forward chimes with well-sourced rumours in the local press that Ronaldo prefers playing with James, due to the great service provided by his close friend.

A recent piece in El Pais headlined ‘The Madrid dressing-room prefers James to Isco’, written by the very well connected Diego Torres, claimed that Ancelotti and his big-name attackers sometimes grew frustrated with Isco dwelling on the ball near the half-way line.

“Bale and Cristiano live on dizzying ‘transitions’,” wrote Torres. “Any loss of time during the attack alerts the opposition defenders and takes away spaces. For that reason they have reproached Isco who carries the ball too much, instead of looking for their runs into space. Cristiano, who also cultivates a friendship with James pushed by their shared agent Jorge Mendes, has more reasons to lean towards the Colombian.”

That suggestion of Mendes’ influence on the Bernabeu dressing room will be noted by the conspiracy theorists. But there is also hard evidence available from the stats to back up the claim that James is better suited to the role.

Whoscored.com’s data shows that, in La Liga, Isco makes 1.6 key passes, and averages 2.7 dribbles, and is tackled 3.4 times in each 90 minutes. Meanwhile, James makes 2.6 key passes per game, averages 1 dribble, and is tackled 1.8 times per game.

So Isco dribbles more, but loses the ball more, while James creates more chances for his teammates. It appears that the Andalusian’s ability to embarrass a marker in midfield looks good for the fans and pundits, but is less useful to his team.

James’ tendency to move the ball quickly and accurately, without losing it in central areas, allows Madrid’s BBC strikeforce to thrive. That is the main reason why Ancelotti keeps choosing the Colombian and benching the Spaniard. And why Los Blancos fans and pundits are becoming increasingly confident as the season reaches its final decisive few months.

Who do you think Ancelotti should select in Real Madrid’s midfield? Let us know in the comments below