Carlo Ancelotti decided to lineup his Real Madridteam in a rather straightforward 4-3-1-2 against Barcelona, with Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Toni Kroos forming the midfield trident that was playing behind Jude Bellingham.
Both Tchouameni and Kroos faced a ton of trouble finding their feet against Barcelona’s midfield of Fermin Lopez, Ilkay Gundogan, and Gavi, who were pressing high and cutting off passing lanes.
In fact, Tchouameni’s lack of alertness led to Gundogan’s opener, and Kroos was almost responsible for the second goal as he was caught in possession by Gavi. Luckily for him, Fermin’s shot could only ricochet the post.
The game changed for Madrid, though, when Luka Modric and a certain Eduardo Camavinga were brought on. The latter slotted in at left-back for Ferland Mendy, but tucked in to add numerical superiority to the midfield.
On the back of yet another impressive performance from the Frenchman, reports from Rodra (h/t MadridXtra) claim that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez does not want to see Camavinga play as a left-back again.
With Aurelien Tchouameni injured in training and now out for nearly two months, Camavinga is expected to be the first-choice to take over that role.
In the past, Ancelotti has relied on Kroos as a pivot due to his passing range and his ability to control the tempo of the game.
While that option is still open for the manager, there is pressure from the higher authorities who want to see Camavinga playing in his natural position.
The 20-year-old missed just one game in the league last season, playing 37 out of 38, while registering just one assist. His dynamism on the ball and ability to read the game defensively is probably second to none in the team, though.
Fans will be hoping to see a lot more of him in that pivot position over the season, hoping he can be Casemiro’s successor.
