Real Madrid 3 – 0 Alavés: Three Takeaways From the La Liga Match

Isco Makes His Case

This was a dominant performance from Isco Alarcon. With Casemiro out due to suspension, Zidane started the “bandied legged beauty” (ala Ray Hudson), and it paid off big-time.

Isco was all over the pitch, creating a number of smart plays through sneaky dispossessions and dribbling around Alavés’ defenders like they didn’t exist (see the tweet below).

Isco’s performance was strong on both sides of the ball, as he made 4 tackles and three interceptions, made 7 dribbles, and added a goal to seal the game.

These statistics lead WhoScored to give him a 9.4 Man of the Match rating, more than a full point higher than any other player on the pitch. It’s usually wise to not put much stock into WhoScored match ratings, but in this case, the number matched the eye test.

Isco commanded the midfield today. The calls for his inclusion in Zidane’s Once de Gala will only be growing louder after his performance against Alavés.