More Questions Than Answers
If you were hoping to get any insight into Xabi Alonso’s XI heading into El Clásico next weekend, he gave nothing away against Getafe. The decision everyone is impatiently waiting to see: whose spot does Jude Bellingham take — Arda Guler or Mastantuono? Maybe Juventus midweek in the Champions League will give us more clues.
Which Is the Real Alvaro Carreras?
After the standout performance against Levante — where he played at left center-back and had Partidazo, one of many to start the season — Alvaro Carreras has looked ordinary. The
dip began at the Metropolitano, which many brushed off as a one-off bad game. But since then, he’s looked like a different player: slower to step into passing lanes, more hesitant on the ball, and less involved in the final third.
My guess? He’s been carrying a knock since the Atleti match, which has kept him from his best. The version we saw at the start of the season: sharp, confident, and decisive, that is the real Alvaro Carreras. But he needs to get fully fit to rediscover that level.
Vinicius Junior, Game Changer
Vinicius Junior came on and changed the game. Instead of letting the referee, opposition, or crowd get under his skin, as it often happened in the past, it was the other way around this time. Vini stayed mostlyquiet (though Bordalas might disagree) and kept forcing Getafe into mistakes. Some fouls were exaggerated, others weren’t, but either way, Getafe grew frustrated. That frustration boiled over into two red cards in five minutes, and the game finally opened up for Madrid.
This is exactly the version of Vinicius Madrid needs: proactive but not reactive.
Endrick – Bottom of the Pecking Order
Endrick has a decision to make — stay at Real Madrid at all costs, like Marcelo once did, or seek a loan to find consistent minutes elsewhere. Loans are always risky; clubs aren’t always invested in developing someone else’s player. And as Madrid learned with Ødegaard, a loan can sometimes mean losing a talent permanently.
Endrick’s qualities suggest he could be a genuine solution on the right wing, but unless he starts getting meaningful minutes soon, he may feel that a loan is his only path forward.
