Real Madrid News
Real Madrid not surprised by 18-year-old starlet’s recent breakthrough
Thiago Pitarch has been around the first-team squad at Real Madrid since the start of the season, but has had to bide his time.
However, over the past couple of weeks, the teenage midfielder has finally gotten his opportunities under Alvaro Arbeloa and he has made the most of them.
Real Madrid not surprised
Now, according to AS, nobody at Real Madrid is surprised by Thiago’s emergence and breakthrough at the first-team level.
His dynamism had already impressed former coach Xabi Alonso in daily training sessions. The debut, however, took time to arrive. There were 11 call-ups without playing a minute, with occasional returns to the reserve team along the way.
But everything changed in the game against Benfica, where he finally made his debut as a late-substitute, before getting more minutes against the same opposition the second leg of the knockout playoffs.
Last Monday, against Getafe, Thiago made his first-ever start for Real Madrid, filling in for the injured Eduardo Camavinga, and made a big impression. The performance earned him another start against Celta Vigo on Friday and the youngster shone brightly again.
Thiago’s rise has partly been driven by the team’s injury crisis, but it is far from accidental. At Valdebebas the feeling had been clear for months.
“He just needed a push,” those within the club say. Now that the opportunity has arrived, the belief inside the club is that this is “just the tip of the iceberg.”
Thiago’s minutes have grown steadily. His performances have also generated a reaction from the fans. When he was substituted against Getafe, the crowd at the Bernabeu whistled in protest.
Behind the scenes, his personality-filled performance against Benfica in Madrid also drew praise from the club’s highest levels.
All of this boosts his chances of starting against Manchester City in the upcoming Champions League match.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho sticks to his Champions League tradition ahead of Real Madrid’s clash vs AS Roma
Real Madrid are set to take on AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in Italy.
Having returned from the international break with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, Los Blancos will be eager to build on it and record their second win in Europe, after beating Inter Milan last month.
Mourinho continues his tradition
And, as reported by Diario AS, the Real Madrid squad trained at Valdebebas before travelling for their Champions League fixture, just as they did during Jose Mourinho’s first spell in charge between 2010 and 2013.
The approach breaks with the usual Champions League routine of training at the opposition’s stadium on the eve of a match.
Real Madrid had largely remained an exception to this trend. Mourinho was the first to change the club’s established procedure, but after his departure in 2013, the routine had returned.
Now, the club are going back to the approach he introduced. Following the training session, the squad will fly to Rome in the afternoon.
Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa followed the same approach
Xabi Alonso revived the practice last season in order to avoid giving direct access to his team’s preparations to the opposition. After Alonso’s dismissal, Alvaro Arbeloa continued the practice.
The team travel to the opposition’s stadium for the press conference, but otherwise complete their preparations at Valdebebas before flying out a few hours later.
Exceptions are made when the journey is too long to make the routine practical, as was the case with Almaty. Rome, however, is a relatively short trip, allowing Mourinho to maintain his preferred schedule.
Real Madrid’s flight is expected to depart at around 15:00, with the pre-match press conference scheduled for 18:00 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Four expected absentees
There were no new injury concerns, with Real Madrid set to travel without four players, all of whom were already expected to miss the match.
Eder Militao has returned to group training but still needs time to regain match fitness. Meanwhile, Raul Asencio remains unavailable after undergoing surgery for a fracture in his right tibia.
Ferland Mendy is also back training with his teammates but is expected to need slightly longer than Militao before returning to action. Rodrygo remains a long-term absentee.
Samuel
March 9, 2026 at 10:18 am
There is another suprise in the reserve team cestre, I like his composure on the ball and the tactics he is smart he can control the midfield properly.