Real Madrid News
Pep Guardiola plays his trump card by preserving star player for Real Madrid match
Real Madrid must have kept a close eye on Manchester City this weekend as they came back from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Newcastle United.
One of the key highlights from the game was the absence of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian international was not even included in the squad list against the Magpies.
This comes despite positive reports surrounding Haaland’s fitness and how he has recovered after picking up a minor training knock ahead of the Leeds United game.
Guardiola playing his trump card?
According to MARCA, Guardiola’s decision not to include Haaland in the Manchester City squad against Newcastle United was completely calculated.
Guardiola’s strategy is to give Haaland more time to recover so he can be even more fit heading into the midweek clash against Real Madrid.
In fact, the Man City coach wants Haaland to start the game against Los Blancos, knowing their defences could be vulnerable to the presence of one of the strongest forwards in world football.
Guardiola had already hinted at the move before the match against Newcastle United, suggesting that he prefers him to stay on the bench rather than play a minor role this weekend.
“I hadn’t planned for him to play. I prefer him to do training sessions rather than travel to sit on the bench and only play 10 or 15 minutes,” he said.
With 28 goals in all competitions this season, Haaland’s ability to find the back of the net could pose serious problems for a Real Madrid defence that hasn’t looked quite sharp in recent matches.
Real Madrid, though, are counting on the return of Eduardo Camavinga, a key operator in the middle of the park.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
