The international break will be good for Real Madrid to recover players, or at least for them to make progress in their recovery, as well as putting to the test the ‘supporting cast’ who have left with their national teams and will be watching their performance. The Whites are having a difficult season in terms of injuries and rotations and it is more than evident that they will have to turn to the market.
How has Real Madrid reached the break?
Real Madrid have reached this international break after a few weeks of inconsistency, but with a good taste in the mouth. In La Liga, the Whites are second with the same number of points as Barça, who are top with a game in hand. In the last two matches of the domestic competition, Carlos Ancelotti’s side came out victorious, albeit without much brilliance.
Last week they beat Rayo Vallecano at home. Real Madrid beat the Vallecas team (2-1) in a game that was a real nail-biter, with their fans whistling them on in the second half for their lack of control and in which Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Junior appeared to seal the game in the first half. Pedro Díaz reduced the deficit with a great goal, but the Whites knew how to suffer.
This weekend they beat Villarreal at La Cerámica. The Groguets took the lead through Foyth, but the reaction of the Madridistas was quick and a double from Mbappé helped Carlo Ancelotti’s side take all three points and sleep as leaders.
In the Champions League, Real Madrid now await Arsenal in the quarter finals after winning a thrilling last sixteen tie against Atlético Madrid in which they won the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu with goals from Brahim and Rodrygo. The return leg at the Metropolitano stadium was complicated to the point of having to reach a controversial penalty shootout in which they emerged victorious thanks to a goal from Rüdiger after a penalty was disallowed for Julián Álvarez for handling the ball with both feet.
The defense, a headache
All the way up to the break, the most problematic area for the Whites has been the defense, where the injuries to players like Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Rudiger, Alaba and Lucas Vázquez have taken their toll. That, added to the poor performance of some of the players, has made it clear that it is necessary to turn to the summer market. A central defender is wanted, and preferably one who will rejuvenate the defense.
The fact is that in the Real Madrid squad Rüdiger turns 32 in March and Alaba 33 in June, which could also be motivating Real Madrid’s sounding out the market for central defenders. In this sense, different names have been mentioned in recent weeks with the common denominator of youth: Branthwaite, 22; Ibrahima Konaté, 25; Castello Lukeba, 22; William Saliba, 24.
New target: Cristian Romero
With doubts about the future of David Alaba, as well as, as we said, the age of the main pieces of the defense, options are being sought and among them a new name has emerged, Cristian Romero. The 26-year-old Argentine, a key player for Tottenham and the Argentine national team, is an extremely sought-after defender. The Spurs want to renew his contract because it expires in 2027, so the London club will try to retain him at all costs. The player has just recovered from an injury and played the last two games for Ange Postecoglou’s team without any problems.