Real Madrid News
Real Madrid to honour two World Cup winners at Santiago Bernabeu during Real Sociedad clash
Real Madrid started their La Liga campaign on a winning note, with a late 2-1 win over Espanyol thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham and Carlos Espi.
They are now set to welcome Real Sociedad to the Santiago Bernabeu in what will be their second league game of the season.
Jose Mourinho will be hoping for a more cohesive performance than the one against Espanyol and to see more positives against the Basque club.
Now, according to COPE, Los Blancos are set to stage a special tribute at the Bernabeu, with Marc Cucurella and Mikel Oyarzabal due to be recognised for winning the World Cup with Spain.
The trophy itself will be present at the Bernabeu tomorrow as part of the ceremony, adding extra significance to the occasion.
Cucurella to receive Real Madrid tribute
Cucurella will be honoured by Real Madrid after returning from the tournament as a world champion.
The left-back joined Madrid this summer and has quickly become one of the most high-profile additions to Jose Mourinho’s squad.
For the club, the tribute is a chance to celebrate both the achievement of one of their own players and Spain’s success on the biggest international stage.
It should also offer Cucurella a memorable Bernabeu moment early in his Madrid career.
Oyarzabal to be recognised by Real Sociedad
Mikel Oyarzabal will also be part of the celebrations, although his recognition will come from Real Sociedad.
COPE reports that both clubs will take part in honouring their respective World Cup winners, creating a shared moment before attention turns back to domestic competition.
Oyarzabal was one of Spain’s key figures during the tournament and remains one of Real Sociedad’s most important players.
For supporters inside the Bernabeu, it will be a rare opportunity to see the World Cup up close while celebrating two players who helped Spain lift it.
While most of the attention in the Bernabeu will understandably be on Cucurella, the fans should also take the opportunity to honour Oyarzabal.
Cucurella has arrived at the club not only as a major signing for the Mourinho era but as a world champion, and he is yet to get started properly in his Los Blancos career.
Tomorrow would give him the opportunity to receive the love that the Bernabeu gives him and use it as motivation to continue having memorable nights at the stadium in the seasons to come.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
