Real Madrid have guaranteed that they will retain top spot by making it five wins from five in La Liga as they beat Espanyol 2-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday afternoon. Éder Militão broke the deadlock early on as he sent a rocket into the top corner from distance halfway through the first period, with Kylian Mbappé easing any nerves early in the second half by doubling the lead.
Three answers
1. How would Vinícius react?
Xabi Alonso admitted that Thursday “was not the right time to talk” with Vinícius
after he was benched for the win over Olympique Marseille, and it raised questions over what kind of performance we could see from the Brazilian. This was far from his most dazzling display in a Real Madrid shirt, but he created a match-high three chances, including claiming the assist for Kylian Mbappé’s goal, and hit the woodwork in a game in which he certainly didn’t seem to be short of confidence. There’s more to unlock with Vinícius, but this was another reasonably strong display from a player who has been seemingly on the right track this season despite all the noise surrounding him.
2. Would we get to see Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga or Endrick in action?
Pre-match, Xabi Alonso teased that, “Bellingham and Camavinga may get some minutes, we’ll have to see how the game unfolds, but I’d like them to”, and fans were understandably eager to see the duo take part for the first time since the Club World Cup. Camavinga got his first minutes under Xabi Alonso, having previously been out for most of the Club World Cup and not making it off the bench once fit to make the bench against Paris Saint-Germain. It was perhaps expected that both players would feature more prominently than the introduction that they got on 88 minutes, but it’s likely that we’ll see them feature more heavily in the Tuesday night visit to Levante, though given their limited amount of gametime, it does seem unlikely that they will start.
3. Could Xabi Alonso make it five wins from five?
This was arguably one of the most routine wins that Xabi Alonso has secured since he arrived at Real Madrid early in the summer. In doing so, he became the first coach since Manuel Pellegrini in 2009 to win his first league games in charge at the start of a season. The only other man to have achieved the feat is Enrique Fernández Viola, 72 years ago as he started his new job in 1953. Both men saw their winning streaks come to an end in their sixth game, curiously both by losing 2-1 away to Sevilla. Fortunately for Xabi Alonso, the next game is an away tie against Levante, rather than a trip to the Pizjuán.
Three questions
1. Is Éder Militão Real Madrid’s best defender?
Watching him fire a 30-yard shot into the top corner of the net, it’s easy to forget that Éder Militão has barely played for the past two years after back-to-back anterior cruciate ligament injuries in either knee. The 27-year-old defender was dominant here, not only with the opening goal, but also dictating the tempo from the back with a match-high 94 passes, winning five duels and recovering possession on five occasions. The Brazilian is looking at the peak of his powers, despite his injury worries. With Antonio Rüdiger injury-hit and seemingly on a long overdue decline, and Dean Huijsen still developing towards his potential, there’s a strong argument to claim that it is Militão who is the best defender in the Real Madrid squad.
2. How excited should Madridistas be about Franco Mastantuono?
While some players can be easily intimidated by playing alongside world-class superstars at an arena like the Bernabéu, Franco Mastantuono just seems to look even more at home every time he steps out onto the field. The 18-year-old winger led the stats in terms of duels won, with 12, and dribbles, with six, as he once again struck fear into a defender, with Espanyol’s Carlos Romero among the most respected left-backs in La Liga. His individual moments of brilliance, like the flick to set up a great chance for Kylian Mbappé, are yet to convert into goals and assists and his wait for that moment goes on, but regardless of the headline stats, he was getting Madridistas to the edge of their seat at the Bernabéu on Saturday afternoon. If he can continue to develop in that direction, the future could be very bright indeed for Real Madrid’s Argentine teen sensation.
3. Are Real Madrid dependent on Kylian Mbappé?
There has only been one game in which Mbappé has not scored this season, and his return of seven goals accounts for 58% of the team’s total this season. Goals are not coming as freely this season, this being only the second time this campaign that Real Madrid have won by more than a single goal margin, and Mbappé has been the only certainty. Militão’s finish was remarkable, but can’t be counted on every week. Outside of him, only Arda Güler and Vinícius Júnior have got on the scoresheet in the first six games of the season, both scoring twice. Los Blancos could need more of a contribution on that front from the likes of Brahim Díaz, Rodrygo Goes, Franco Mastantuono, Fede Valverde, and co. if they are to maintain this strong run of form even if Mbappé‘s form drops off.
