Raphaël Varane wasn't going to start at the Calderón, but Pepe's niggles paved the way for him to make his mark... and how!
The Frenchman was absolutely flawless against Atlético, putting in far and away his finest performance since the untimely knee injury he sustained in Cornellà nearly two years ago.
Since then, Varane had never looked quite this powerful, decisive, pacy and imperious again, but he turned back the clock at the Calderón. The 21-year-old dealt with everything thrown at him. Even the stats - he regained possession 14 times, made 25 clearances, intercepted nine crosses and gave away just a single foul - don't do his excellence justice.
The starlet covered every blade of grass on the way to clocking up 9.4 kilometres and also completed 39 of his 44 passes. He was also responsible for the moment of the match, when he embarked on a lung-busting run starting from the edge of his own box, leaving several opponents in his wake before slipping a measured ball through to Benzema, who chose to try to set up James rather than have a shot at goal.
Varane's display will have been a huge fillip not just for Real Madrid but for the man himself. It was just what the France international had been crying out for since his injury, a milestone occasion that will make him feel like an important player again, rather than the third wheel at centre-back.
No comments:
Post a Comment