Bale, Hazard, Isco, Marcelo: Real Madrid's 'invisible XI' under Carlo Ancelotti in 2021/22

Real Madrid have more problems right now than their results might have you believe.

While Carlo Ancelotti’s men were recently dumped out of the Copa del Rey and aren’t really amongst the top contenders to win the Champions League, the 2021/22 season has largely been kind to them.

Los Blancos are on course to snatch the La Liga crown back from their rivals across the Spanish capital with just two league defeats to their name and a tasty 15-point lead over Barcelona to boot.

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at the Bernabeu because there’s no denying that the squad inherited by Ancelotti in the summer isn’t exactly as streamlined as many would hope.

The moral of the story is that the European giants are carrying an alarming amount of deadwood and it’s remarkable that they’re performing so well when many of their biggest names, well, aren’t.

In fact, the situation at Real is so eyebrow-raising that Spanish publication Marca took a closer look at what they have branded as the club’s ‘invisible XI.’

A harsh title, perhaps, but it shines a light on ’11 players in Real Madrid’s first-team squad who have not had much of a look in this season,’ with some of its starters proving jarringly high profile.

And while Marca admit that two of the players are nevertheless featuring for Raul’s Castilla team this season, there’s no denying that the vast majority of the line-up is comprised by underperforming talents.

So, without further ado, be sure to check out how Los Blancos’ star-studded ‘invisible XI’ lines up down below because it really serves to underline just how much talent is being wasted away.

Oh, and don’t take the exact configuration of the defence too seriously. We’re aware that there are two left-backs…

Just look