Real Madrid News
Five key stats from Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City
Fans were treated to a quality encounter on Tuesday night as Real Madrid and Manchester City played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-finals at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Two special strikes from Vinicius Jr and Kevin De Bruyne for their respective teams ensured that Real Madrid and Man City go into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on equal footing with all to play for.
Both teams enjoyed spells of domination with most of Real Madrid’s threat coming through their goalscorer Vinicius Jr.
The Brazilian scored a stunning goal against the Cityzens, which means that he has now had a goal involvement in each of his last ten appearances across all competitions for the Merengues.
Furthermore, the Brazilian speedster became the third-youngest South American footballer to score 15 goals in the UEFA Champions League (22y 301d), with only Lionel Messi (21y 288d) and Rodrygo Goes (22y 99d) reaching the milestone before him.
While Vinicius was the star of the show, and rightly so, fellow youngster Eduardo Camavinga was not to be left behind. Starting as a makeshift left-back yet again, the 20-year-old left his mark on the game.
The Frenchman got the assist for Vinicius’ goal after making a tremendous run into the Man City half. Apart from that, no player won more duels than Camavinga (9). He also created 3 chances and made 7 recoveries.
While Real Madrid would have been happy to come away with a win from the first leg, a 1-1 result might not be too bad either, but there will be some concerns ahead of the second leg.
After all, Los Blancos have reached the Champions League final only twice after not winning the first leg of the semifinals. However, both those occasions came against Manchester City in 2016 and 2022.
Meanwhile, manager Carlo Ancelotti also celebrated a historic milestone on Tuesday night as he equalled Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager with the most games in Champions League history (190 each).
Real Madrid News
Mourinho considering starting 23-year-old Real Madrid ace against Villarreal – report
After impressing during the international break, Eduardo Camavinga has a major opportunity to establish himself in Real Madrid’s midfield rotation.
Indeed, according to Defensa Central, Jose Mourinho is considering starting the Frenchman against Villarreal, with injuries and doubts over several players limiting his options.
Real Madrid cannot afford to drop points against Villarreal if they want to remain in the title race. However, Mourinho has issues to deal with in the squad, which could lead him to turn to Camavinga for a crucial role.
Camavinga could replace Tchouameni in midfield
The 23-year-old star could line up as the defensive midfielder in the double pivot, with Bernardo Silva or Arda Guler alongside him, and will be tasked with providing balance in midfield.
Real Madrid face Villarreal with several problems in central defence. Ibrahima Konate is expected to be a late call, leading Mourinho to consider moving Aurelien Tchouameni into defence alongside Antonio Rudiger.
Meanwhile, Federico Valverde could also struggle to be ready after the ankle injury he sustained in the derby before the international break.
The Uruguayan has continued to work individually away from the group and might return to group training tomorrow. Even then, his readiness to start remains in question.
That would leave a place open in midfield, with Camavinga in line to fill in.
Camavinga impressed during the international break
Camavinga has started only one match this season, the defeat against Real Betis.
Despite his limited opportunities, Mourinho is keen to bring the Frenchman back into the fold after he impressed for France during the international break.
Zinedine Zidane called the Real Madrid star up for his first France squad, and the midfielder performed well during the break.
That has given Mourinho and Real Madrid reason to be optimistic about using him against Villarreal, with the hope that he can move closer to the level he showed after first arriving at the club.
Therefore, the Villarreal match could represent an important test for Camavinga and a chance for the Frenchman to show that he can provide the balance Real Madrid need in midfield.
