Fede Valverde was instrumental in Actual Madrid’s 2-1 over Benfica on Wednesday, offering each assists in Madrid’s victory. His cutback go to seek out Aurélien Tchouaméni on the prime of the field led to Madrid’s first aim within the sixteenth minute and his duel gained and ball restoration inside the middle circle preceded his go to Vinicius for Madrid’s second aim within the eightieth minute. The Uruguayan now has two targets and 12 assists (7 in La Liga the place he’s at present tied with Arda Güler for third most within the Spanish league) this season, the primary time Valverde has reached double digits in assists with the Madrid jersey and impressively doing so in solely 38 matches.
Fede Valverde’s touches vs. Benfica on the Bernabéu:
Valverde, very like Vinicius, appears reenergized since Alvaro Arbeloa’s arrival. He has scored one aim and distributed 5 assists (4 within the Champions League) in solely 11 matches below Madrid’s new coach — a aim contribution each 159 minutes. That could be a dramatic enhance over his scoring output below Xabi Alonso when Actual Madrid’s #8 produced one aim and 7 assists in 25 matches — a aim or help each 260 minutes. For example Valverde’s versatility, seven of his aim contributions this season have been whereas enjoying in midfield whereas the opposite seven have come from a right-back place. With the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold to the lineup, Valverde has returned to his most popular position, enjoying the final 5 matches in Madrid’s midfield.
Maybe most shocking about Wednesday’s match was how excessive up the pitch Valverde performed with solely Vinicius averaging the next positioning on the sector for Madrid. This was particularly sudden on condition that Fede performed centrally a lot of the match and never on the wing, particularly within the second half. Valverde had 4 touches inside Benfica’s penalty field, joint chief with Vinicius on Wednesday. May this be a brand new change in techniques that would result in Valverde enjoying greater up the pitch and result in a rise in his presence within the last third? It will likely be attention-grabbing to trace as Madrid faces the largest matches of the season within the coming weeks.
Actual Madrid beginning 11 common positioning vs. Benfica on the Bernabéu: