Real Madrid: 5 players who must shine against Espanyol

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MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 23: Adnan Januzaj of Real Sociedad battles for possession with Ferland Mendy of Real Madrid during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 23, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) /

LB Ferland Mendy

Marcelo will miss a few weeks due to a calf injury, and while Real Madrid will sorely miss the fan favorite, they do have another top-notch left back in their squad in Ferland Mendy.

While Marcelo started over Mendy last week against both PSG and Deportivo Alaves and looked above-average in both games, Mendy has been objectively better this season. Marcelo offers more creativity, better passing, and more technical ability, but Mendy’s positioning and defensive work are vastly superior. As much as we love Marcelo and as fun as he is to watch, Mendy is the most effective player. It’s that simple.

The loss to Real’s fullback depth hurts, but Mendy can have some dominant performances in Marcelo’s absence. He needs to destroy Espanyol’s attack and show he can be a big part of Real’s attack on Saturday, and building more confidence will be key for the ex-Lyon man.

After all, he has a date with right winger Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona lined up on Dec. 18. Everything preceding that game seems like a walk in the park for a player of Mendy’s caliber, but it’s critical for him to play at a peak level in order to build himself up for that massive showdown with Messi.

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