Real Madrid News
Real Madrid duo sustained minor injuries during Chelsea clash – report
Real Madrid gave it their all on Wednesday night against Chelsea in the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League. The reward was sweet, with a two-goal lead assured heading into the second leg next week. However, the win did not come without its price.
According to reports from Arancha Rodriguez (h/t RM4Arab), some players suffered minor injuries after facing Chelsea last night, including Toni Kroos and Eder Militao.
No update has been issued from the club over the aforementioned players suffering any form of injury, and it is safe to assume that they will be fit in time to face Chelsea for the second leg.
However, Carlo Ancelotti will likely rest them for the weekend’s clash against Cadiz and hope for the niggles to pass completely.
Both Kroos and Militao started at Santiago Bernabeu last night. While the former was substituted for Aurelien Tchouameni in the 84th minute, the latter completed the ninety minutes, putting in a solid shift at the back.
Come next week, both players will be crucial if Los Blancos are to advance to the final four of the Champions League.
The German midfielder is expected to hold onto his place as the pivot on the night while Militao is a guaranteed starter in central defence.
Given Real Madrid’s track record in knockout competitions over the years, the men in white are expected to cruise to the semifinals where they will likely face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
However, one remembers Chelsea’s stunning comeback to equalise against Real Madrid last season that forced extra time and another Karim Benzema winner.
Complacency, thus, is not an option, and having both Kroos and Militao on the field will provide the team with two leaders to ensure the same.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho’s decision to substitute Real Madrid’s best player vs Real Betis sparks confusion
Arda Guler’s substitution in Real Madrid’s 0-1 defeat to Real Betis looked strange from the outside, and the numbers make the decision even harder to understand.
According to AS, the Turkish international was Real Madrid’s leading chance-creator at La Cartuja, producing seven opportunities for his teammates.
He was also the second-best outfield player for ball recoveries, winning possession back five times.
Guler was replaced in the 65th minute by summer signing Yan Diomande, despite having been arguably Madrid’s most influential player in attack.
His defensive work was equally important, leaving Mourinho with a decision that has inevitably attracted attention.
In fact, his work rate in defence and his attacking flair were something Real Madrid’s finishers failed to capitalise on.
Mourinho explains why Guler had to come off
Mourinho acknowledged that removing Guler was difficult, although he believed the possibility of a second yellow card justified the decision.
The midfielder had been booked earlier in the game and Mourinho feared Betis players would deliberately target him after the break.
“It’s difficult to substitute Arda, yes, very difficult. He was playing very well. The Betis players are smarter, the Madrid players are more innocent, more naive.
“They get up immediately after fouls. I don’t know how he finished the first half with a yellow card, when he played so much and only committed one minor foul.
“Afterwards, they were going to try to catch him, and I had a feeling they could give him a second yellow,” explained the manager after the game.
Guler’s substitutions are becoming a pattern
The Betis match was not the first occasion on which Guler was withdrawn while performing strongly.
Against Espanyol, he was substituted after an hour while Madrid were chasing a winner, despite providing the assist for Jude Bellingham.
He had also been one of the team’s best performers throughout pre-season.
But substituting Guler was then, and it was also against Betis, the easiest substitution.
Guler currently occupies the false right-wing role and remains a regular starter, but Diomande’s arrival adds competition, particularly given the significant fee paid for the new signing.
However, the Turk is seizing every opportunity, even when his teammates struggle to keep up, giving Mourinho even more of a selection headache.
