Real Madrid News
Real Madrid summer signing making strong case for maiden national team call-up ahead of his rivals
Real Madrid’s Alvaro Carreras has been one of the standout performers under Xabi Alonso this season.
The 22-year-old left-back has not only impressed with his consistency but has also demonstrated maturity beyond his years, especially in high-pressure fixtures.
His disciplined display against Barcelona in El Clasico, where he effectively nullified the threat of Lamine Yamal, showed just how far he has come.
And to top it off, he recently scored his first Real Madrid goal against Valencia, further strengthening his case for a maiden call-up to the Spanish national team.
However, Carreras faces a tough challenge in his quest to break into Luis de la Fuente’s side.
This is because the left-back position is already stacked with world-class options such as Marc Cucurella and Alejandro Grimaldo.
Realistically, De la Fuente may not take three full-backs, which means including Carreras would likely come at the expense of one of those two.
Assessing the options
Statistically, though, the Real Madrid defender is giving the national coach something to think about.
This season, Carreras leads both Cucurella and Grimaldo in several distribution metrics, as he averages 54.76 passes per game and 7.74 passes into the final third.
Offensively, however, Grimaldo remains the unassailable leader because he dominates in almost every attacking area.
Yet when comparing Carreras directly to Cucurella, the Real Madrid man edges ahead in several categories.
Carreras outperforms the Chelsea defender in ball progressions (1.76 to 0.59), dribbles (0.77 to 0.08), and offensive duels (1.83 to 1.01).
Defensively, Cucurella leads the charts in duels won, clearances, and shot blocks.
Still, Carreras makes more recoveries than either rival, averaging an impressive 9.36 per game, compared to Cucurella’s 7.39 and Grimaldo’s 6.81.
In essence, each player has his strengths, as Carreras excels in distribution, Grimaldo dominates offensively, and Cucurella shines defensively.
But Carreras’ balance between passing precision, defensive work rate, and offensive drive could make him the most complete option and a serious contender for Spain’s next left-back spot.
Source: AS
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
