Real Madrid: 5 players who must step up in the Champions League

RB Dani Carvajal

As a whole, Dani Carvajal has been a positive for Real Madrid and continues to show why he’s one of the world’s best right backs. There were concerns about Carvajal after last season’s poor displays, but the same can be said for a number of veteran players in the squad. Like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, for example, Carvajal has rebounded under Zinedine Zidane, showing that his struggles last season were an anomaly.

That said, Carvajal’s had some rough outings and can sometimes be frustrating to watch for Madridistas. Part of that frustration stems from the fact that fans know he’s a quality player, so they are all the more disappointed when he makes a poor mistake. Carvajal can get caught out of position, be too aggressive when pushing up the pitch, or let his emotions get the better of him.

In the Champions League knockout stages, Real Madrid need consistency from Carvajal. They also need him to continue to provide accurate delivers from the right-hand side, especially since Karim Benzema really feeds off that service.

Carvajal has five assists in all competitions this season, but only one of those assists has come in the Champions League. However, he’s averaged 2.3 tackles per game in La Liga and 2.2 tackles per game in the Champions League, per WhoScored.com, showing that his defensive contributions are equally robust. And they’ll need to be, especially since against the intelligent and opportunistic Raheem Sterling in the Round of 16.