Madrid, Apr 22 (EFE).- The Italian Carlo Ancelotti made five changes to the starting eleven that he won at Stamford Bridge last Tuesday and initially introduced three players for whom the nine games, including the one against Celta de Vigo, which remain to finish the League they are worth more than not to lose pace of competition.
With Barcelona eight points behind, and one more game, defending the title is a chimera, and the events marked in red are the Copa del Rey final against Osasuna on May 6 and the Champions League semifinals against Manchester City. for Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, in the League there will be rotations and opportunities for less common players, and three of them still have their renewals in the air.
The first, a Marco Asensio who once again showed that by goals it will not be. He opened the scoring in the 42nd minute after a thick start to the game by both teams and scored his 11th goal of the season, one shy of equaling his tally from the previous season.
A number that places him in fifth position in the Madrid scorers’ table, but with much less prominence. The Spaniard has played 1,570 minutes, while the Brazilian Rodrygo Goes, with 13 goals, adds 3,050 minutes.
Ahead and also within his reach, the Uruguayan Fede Valverde, although without being able to make a direct comparison as they are different profiles. Of course, he adds 12 goals in 3,770 ′ + 90.
A season without the prominence in terms of minutes and role expected by an Asensio who is finding the opportunity to vindicate himself in these league games. He has four starts in a row in which he has scored three goals and has provided two assists.
And a 2023 at the height of the best. According to data from Opta, he has been involved in ten goals (seven of his and three assists), more than any other footballer in the competition this year.
However, in the big games of ‘Champions’ it is a revulsion for the last minutes. Two realities in the middle of the negotiations for his continuity or not at Real Madrid.
Another player who wants to “feel important”, as he himself has recognized, is Nacho Fernández. The Spaniard returned to ownership in the League after receiving a setback in the Champions League when he saw that it was the German Antonio Rüdiger who entered due to the injury of the Austrian David Alaba and not him.
With all healthy – except a Frenchman Ferland Mendy who has been replaced by his compatriot Eduardo Camavinga on the left side -, Nacho is the fourth center, but Ancelotti sent him a message against Celta.
The Spanish Dani Carvajal rotated and it was Nacho and not Lucas Vázquez, his theoretical first replacement, who played a game in which the stands once again showed him their love and desire for him to renew while he makes his decision based on the minutes it can have.
The third player in contention is Dani Ceballos. The midfielder is experiencing 2023 with more prominence than ever at Real Madrid with 15 starts and exceeding 1,000 minutes in the League. Ancelotti is counting on him, proof of this was the heartfelt hug he gave him when he changed him in the 81st minute.
Against Celta he took Modric’s place and took over the command of a midfield in which he was accompanied by more physical players such as Tchouaméni and Valverde. In addition, in front of him he had a Gabri Veiga who is related to a possible signing for Real Madrid, but it was Ceballos who prevailed in the duel, both with the ball and in the times he overcame him to steal the ball.
Three good performances in a match with little competitive tension for Real Madrid due to their situation in the table and what makes them, if they have the will to stay, win renewal. For now, they won back the affection of their fans at a Santiago Bernabéu that chanted their names.
Oscar Maya Belchí