It’s just a friendly, but no so much for some players on the roster.
Real Madrid host Fiorentina in the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy —22:45 CET— and while this is just a friendly, coach Zinedine Zidane will surely give some of his youngsters the chance to prove they’re ready to compete. Here are three players who will need to make an impact if they want to have relevant minutes this season.
1. Marcos Llorente. Llorente has a huge chance to prove he can be as good as Casemiro when given the chance. So far, most fans and pundits expected him to play more minutes but Casemiro has been a force of nature and it will be impossible for Llorente to compete for the starting spot if the Br azilian midfielder keeps playing at this level. However, Llorente might be just as good as Casemiro defensively and knows how to distribute the ball more effectively, meaning that he can and will be useful down the road if he shows patience and waits for the right opportunity to come his way. It’s time for Llorente to show what he can do.
2. Dani Ceballos. Real Madrid wanted to send Ceballos on a loan deal before, although the player decided to stay and compete for a spot on the team right away. Mateo Kovacic has been playing very well lately, meaning that it won’t be easy for Ceballos be ahead of the Croatian midfielder in the depth chart. Right now, Kovacic will be Madrid’s first man off the bench whenever Casemiro, Kroos or Modric aren’t available. Ceballos has to work hard to prove that his playmaking skills can take the team to another level when the starters aren’t ready.
3. Achraf. He has been promoted to the first team and Real Madrid refused to sign a backup right back after letting Danilo join Manchester City for €30 million. Achraf’s potential is very high but Carvajal is the undisputed starter and will be for many years to come. However, Carvajal could rotate often if Achraf proves he’s ready to contribute and make an impact.