Real Madrid News
Xabi Alonso plans to hand Real Madrid teenage prodigy his first start vs Real Oviedo
Last Tuesday saw Real Madrid summer signing Franco Mastantuono make his debut for the club, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 1-0 win over CA Osasuna.
While the 18-year-old sensation did not have a lot of time on the field, he made sure to make an impression on the fans with a nice display of his abilities.
Mastantuono set for his first start
Now, according to AS (h/t RM4Arab), Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso plans to hand Mastantuono his first start later this weekend when they take on Real Oviedo.
Los Blancos travel to Estadio Carlos Tartiere on Sunday night to take on the newly-promoted La Liga club with the aim of securing another victory.
And, as per the update, Alonso plans on starting Mastantuono on the night against Oviedo, deploying him on the right wing.
It would potentially mean that Brahim Diaz, who started on the right flank in the opener against Osasuna, could lose his spot in the starting XI.
After all, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr., despite his lack of form, are expected to hold on to their spots in the starting lineup for Real Madrid.
As for Mastantuono, it presents a great opportunity for him to kickstart his career at Real Madrid on a strong note.
The 18-year-old wonderkid was brought in for a total fee exceeding €63 million and was always expected to have a prominent role in Alonso’s plans.
However, considering that he started training with the rest of the squad only last week, there was a possibility of him being eased into action.
But the manager has opted to throw him into the deep end right away from this week’s fixture against Real Oviedo.
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”.
