Dani Ceballos was one of the big surprises in Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid starting eleven against Levante on Tuesday night.
The fringe midfielder made his second start of the campaign, with Alonso opting to give Aurelien Tchouameni a rest ahead of the derby against Atletico Madrid later this weekend.
Now, according to AS, Xabi Alonso is happy with what he is seeing from Ceballos and will keep giving the midfielder minutes if he continues to perform consistently.
The 29-year-old was one of the standout performers in Real Madrid’s midfield against Levante on Tuesday, justifying Alonso’s decision to replace Tchouameni with him.
Ceballos was the Real Madrid player who made the most passes in the entire match, despite leaving the pitch in the 82nd minute, and the second who touched the ball the most. He was also the most precise in the final third, and created two scoring chances.
Ceballos not only contributed in playmaking, but also in intensity and defensive sacrifice. He was the player who won the most tackles, alongside Dean Huijsen and Arda Guler, and the second who recovered the most balls, only behind Alvaro C arreras.
The midfielder was very close to leaving Real Madrid in the summer. He considered the option of returning to Betis and even reached an agreement with Marseille, but in the end he declined the proposal.
Now, as Alonso has already shown, Ceballos will have a role throughout the season, and with matches like the one against Levante, the Real Madrid coach will continue to back him.