League Plan B
Real Madrid’s starting lineup for this League season is decided on the fly, as anyone who has followed the team in this tournament, which they dominated from start to finish, knows. (with Nacho replaced by Alaba starting in December when the Austrian broke his ACL). But it was not a victory of only eleven men, Madrid was able to boast of its wardrobe and the addition of its bench.
Starting with the goal. Kepa lost his position after the jump to 2024, but he stayed behind for most of the first round and delivered results: 13 league games played, nine goals conceded, seven clean sheets.. Defensively, it was the rookie defenders who made the biggest mark: Lucas Vazquez scored two goals and provided five assists, and he particularly shone in the Clasico that left the League condemned, scoring one goal, assisting another and awarding a penalty. ; For his part, Fran Garcia had less participation, but had opportunities in the first round and handed out four assists.
In midfield, Camavinga provided the dynamism and strength to operate where he was needed: as a holding midfielder, inside and even as a reserve left-back. And Modric rebelled against his situation, scoring two goals and four assists; Particularly important was his goal against Sevilla at the Bernabeu, which meant three points.
And in attack, two names stand out from the rest: Brahim and Joselu. The former was little involved in the game at first, but when he started he did so, scoring important goals (five and three assists) and providing Ancelotti with an alternative in attack. Joselu, for his part, scored eight goals and took advantage of Vinicius’ defeat to perfection, scoring in five of his six games between September and October. Güler entered little, but every time he did, he left a valuable detail.
Six who are out of contract
The six first-team players’ contracts expire on June 30 and will therefore leave Real Madrid if no agreement is reached. But there will probably be a few people left, who knows if it’s the majority. Kepa ends his loan and returns to Chelsea where he will look for a team as he was determined to leave last summer and in fact his signing for Bayern was close.. On defense, Lucas Vazquez will likely be asked to continue as Carvajal’s replacement; The Galician ends the season on a high level. Bye Nacho’s situation is much more uncertain; According to him, he can extend the contract whenever he wants, but knows that Militao, Rudiger and Alaba are ahead of him. and Rafa Marin will return from Alaves to join the team.
In the middle, Kroos’ continuity is clear… if he agrees to stay another year. Only the German’s desire to retire could leave Madrid without one of the players in midfield. In the case of Modric Sr (he turns 39 in September), the situation with the club is not so clear, but if it were up to Ancelotti, he would have stayed for another year. And finally, in attack, Joselu ends his loan from Espanyol, but Madrid have an option to buy for one and a half million, which he will use. The club is happy with the striker and the role he plays and offers a very specific profile.
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