Real Madrid: Top 5 performances from 6-0 win over Galatasaray

CM Fede Valverde

Fede Valverde is another young player who has shown his quality this season, and he also played an integral role in Real Madrid’s 6-0 win over Galatasaray. The hard-working Uruguayan bossed the midfield, and while he misplaced a couple of passes that would have been punished by a better opponent, he finished the game with a 96.1% completion percentage on 77 passes, per WhoScored.com.

It is a joy to watch Valverde, whose defensive positioning is a major key to Real’s success. When he’s not on the pitch, Real suffer in their shape. Valverde is also developing into a composed metronomic passer at the center of the pitch, providing effective support to Toni Kroos in the attack as the deeper-lying midfielder.

Valverde’s touches and flicks are aesthetically pleasing, and the technical quality that made him one of the world’s top prospects is evident. He chooses his spots to support the attack wisely, because he knows that his most valuable contributions are the more gritty defensive work. But fans know how much he helps begin transitions to attacks, recalling that his ball recoveries led to Real’s first three goals in their 4-2 mid-October win over Granada.

This was another strong display from Valverde, who has become a real X-Factor in the starting lineup for Real Madrid this season.