Real Madrid: Lucas Vazquez enjoying his best season ever
By Ben Sundock
26-year-old forward Lucas Vazquez has become a staple of the Real Madrid starting XI since the beginning of 2018 and his form has impressed both his manager and the fans alike. Let’s take a closer look at Lucas’ best season to date with Los Blancos.
He’s a crowd favorite and rightfully so. The La Fabrica product has been a regular in the Real lineup since making his competitive debut for the first team back in early September of 2015.
Since Zinedine Zidane took over at the beginning of 2016, Lucas has progressively seen his role grow. Making 132 appearances and scoring 16 goals since his debut, Lucas has shown that he can be a star at this club.
I’m sure some of you – like me – thought Vazquez was a veteran who was just starting to find his minutes in this team. In reality, the Spaniard is just now hitting his prime and it’s clearly showing.
The 2017/2018 campaign has been by far the best of his career as he has made 49 appearances in all competition and has already set a record for the most assists in a single season with 11.
Those 11 assists have come in four different competitions (La Liga, Champions League, Copa Del Rey, and FIFA Club World Cup). Furthermore, he has assisted seven different players on those 11 assists.
What makes these 11 assists this campaign even crazier is that it totals nearly half of his career assists (28).
Last season, Lucas was a fringe player, frequently coming off the bench late in matches to provide some pace and defensive awareness. This year, he has bucked Gareth Bale, and at times, Isco, out of the starting lineup due to his incredible form.
Madridistas feel the same about the winger as they do for Nacho Fernandez who has spent his entire career with Los Blancos. If there is something Real Madrid fans love most, it’s players who are Spanish and have come up through the youth academy.
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Nothing makes me happier than seeing a guy like Lucas Vazquez get the minutes and fan recognition he deserves. Not only is he now appreciated at the club level, but he has started to receive more and more call-ups to the Spanish national team and has a good chance of making the World Cup team this summer.
Let’s hope Lucas can keep this success up heading into next season.