Real Madrid at Mallorca 5 storylines: Will Casemiro get some rest?

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VILLAREAL, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 01: Luka Jovic of Real Madrid looks on during the Liga match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid CF at Estadio de la Ceramica on September 1, 2019 in Villareal, Spain. (Photo by Pablo Morano/MB Media/Getty Images) /

Luka Jovic’s time to shine

Real Madrid paid 60 million euros to Eintracht Frankfurt for striker Luka Jovic, who scored 27 goals in all competitions for the Eagles. The 2018-2019 breakout star has all the tools to be an elite poacher for Real, but opportunities were always expected to be few and far between behind Karim Benzema, who already has six goals in seven La Liga appearances.

Jovic last received a start against Osasuna, as he had a goal disallowed by VAR when it was debatable if he was offsides or not. The near-goal came after Jovic missed a couple of easy chances, but fans should be pleased that he was getting into so many dangerous situations on the counterattacks.

Thus far, Jovic has shown a willingness to work and has linked up well with his teammates. Contrary to the narrative pushed out by members of the media who enjoy placing unfair expectations on young Real Madrid players, Jovic has shown that he is both good enough and can fit at Madrid.

Like Casemiro, Benzema is another vital player for Los Blancos who will be counted on to shine against Barcelona, so Real would do well to give him as much rest as possible. More importantly, they need to see exactly what Jovic can bring to the table, and Mallorca are perfect opponents for the young striker to boost his confidence against.

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