Fulham wrapped up their preseason with a 1-0 victory over Stuttgart at Craven Cottage, but for Real Madrid followers, the result was secondary to an encouraging showing from two familiar faces.
César Palacios and Gonzalo García, two of Álvaro Arbeloa’s key additions for his new adventure in London, both started and left their mark against Champions League opposition. Palacios in particular continued what has been an impressive preseason, looking increasingly comfortable operating between the lines
and taking responsibility in possession.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder was one of Fulham’s most interesting players on the afternoon. There was an authority to his game that went beyond simply producing a few nice touches. Palacios consistently looked for ways to advance Fulham’s attacks, receiving in pockets, turning quickly and attempting passes that could eliminate Stuttgart’s defensive lines.
His best moments came through his distribution.
Shortly before halftime, Palacios spotted Antonee Robinson’s run and sliced Stuttgart open with a perfectly weighted pass that sent the left-back through on goal. Robinson could not finish the move, with Fabian Bredlow making the save, but the sequence highlighted one of Palacios’s most intriguing qualities: his ability to see and execute passes before a defence has time to adjust.
He produced something similar immediately after the break, disguising a pass to release Oscar Bobb into a dangerous position. Once again Bredlow prevented Fulham from converting the chance.
Those moments helped explain the positive reaction Palacios received from Fulham supporters on social media. It is still preseason, and conclusions should be tempered accordingly, but there is already plenty to like about the personality with which he is playing.
Palacios has never been short on technical ability. The more important question at this stage of his career is whether he can impose those qualities consistently at senior level. Against Stuttgart, he played with the confidence of someone who wanted the ball and believed he could dictate what happened next.
Gonzalo García, meanwhile, provided a different type of threat.
The former Real Madrid striker was lively in his appearance at Craven Cottage and continued to show the movement and attacking instincts that have defined his development. Gonzalo does not necessarily need an attack to be constructed around him to influence games. He moves constantly, occupies defenders and looks for opportunities to attack spaces around the box.
His best opportunity arrived midway through the second half when he found enough room to fire from roughly 20 yards. The effort took a deflection and went narrowly wide of the near post.
It was not the spectacular introduction that a goal would have provided, but Gonzalo’s activity complemented Palacios nicely. Where Palacios wants to find the spaces from which he can create, Gonzalo provides a moving target ahead of him.
That relationship will be worth monitoring.
Fulham were the better side for long stretches and could easily have won by more than the eventual one-goal margin. Sander Berge appeared to have scored in the first half when his header was cleared after seemingly crossing the line, but with no goal-line technology available, play continued.
The breakthrough eventually arrived through Timothy Castagne, who met Alex Iwobi’s corner at the near post and produced a clever looping header to give Fulham the lead.
Stuttgart threatened sporadically, forcing Bernd Leno into a couple of excellent saves, including a superb reflex stop after Badredine Bouanani directed a volley back across goal. But Fulham controlled enough of the contest to deserve the victory and ended their preseason by beating a Champions League opponent.
For Arbeloa, however, one of the most encouraging takeaways was the contribution of two players he knows well.
Gonzalo gives him intensity, movement and a natural instinct for finding scoring opportunities. Palacios offers imagination and technical quality between midfield and attack.
The latter may be particularly intriguing.
Palacios’s pathway at Real Madrid was always going to be complicated given the amount of talent ahead of him, but his ability has never been difficult to see. A move to England offers him something he desperately needs at this stage: senior minutes, responsibility and an environment in which mistakes do not necessarily send him immediately back to the bench.
Performances like this one are precisely why the move could be so valuable.
There will be considerably more difficult tests once competitive football begins, but Palacios has already started showing Fulham supporters what made him such an interesting prospect in Madrid. He plays with his head up, searches for progressive options and, perhaps most importantly, does not appear intimidated by the responsibility of trying difficult things.
Alongside Gonzalo, he gives Arbeloa two young players with whom he already has familiarity and trust.
Preseason performances should never be overstated. But as Fulham turn toward the competitive calendar, both former Real Madrid prospects have given their new supporters reasons to be excited — and Palacios, in particular, is beginning to make people take notice.
