Real Madrid: 5 players to watch on Celta Vigo for Matchday 24

DM Okay Yokuslu

The best defensive midfielder on the pitch on Sunday will undoubtedly be Los Blancos standout Casemiro, but Okay Yokuslu is not a player to take lightly. He may only have one assist this season, but the Turkey international has emerged as a key player for Celta in recent weeks. Yokuslu is the team’s leader in passes per game, and he’s also completing one dribble per game.

Defensively, Yokuslu is third among Celta players in interceptions per game (1.4) with at least 700 minutes, and he’s averaging 1.7 tackles per game. Yokuslu is on good form, having assisted for the first team this season in last week’s 2-1 win over Sevilla. He’ll look to have another big game as Celta complete their stretch of games against elite teams with another upset.

CAM Rafinha

Last but not least, FC Barcelona loanee Rafinha is a star player for Real Madrid to watch out for. This is his second loan stint with Celta, having played at Inter Milan in 2018-2019. While Rafinha hasn’t fulfilled his potential at Barca, he has been arguably Celta’s best player this season due to the creative influence he has.

Set to line up as a No. 10 against Casemiro and Co., Rafinha will be the main danger man for Celta, helping Aspas carve out opportunities. The 27-year-old Brazilian is averaging 1.9 dribbles per game and drawing a whopping 3.3 fouls per game. Casemiro, Ramos, and others will have to be careful not to give up cheap fouls against Rafinha, who will want to create set piece opportunities for others.

Rafinha is a hard-working, all-action midfielder who has recorded multiple tackles in seven of his last eight games. Zidane surely won’t sleep on him.