Real Madrid: Here are 5 players who deserve more widespread praise

LB Ferland Mendy

There may not be a better defensive left back in European football than Ferland Mendy, who has shown no signs of discomfort or nerves in his first season with Real Madrid after joining from Lyon in the summer of 2019.

Mendy didn’t start every game due to Marcelo’s presence, but he was clearly Real’s best option at the left back position.

Per WhoScored.com, only three fullbacks in Europe’s top five leagues were dribbled past less frequently than Mendy per 90 minutes. On the opposite end, Mendy was third behind only Alphonso Davies and Sheamus Coleman among fullbacks in successful dribbles per game, and those two standouts are widely regarded as the best ball-progressing fullbacks in the game.

Mendy needs to be regarded as a world-class left back. The 24-year-old is rapidly improving in the attack and is already one of the benchmark players defensively, having shown he can start regularly for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Davies was by far the biggest breakout star at the position, using his intelligent passing and reading of the game as an attacker to devastating effect in the final third. He was like having an extra attacker while still being capable defensively due to his understanding of the game and closing speed.

Likewise, Mendy also has amazing positional awareness and recovery speed. It allows him to push high up the pitch to support the attack with well-placed, accurate passes while covering a great deal of ground in support, often making recoveries for the even more aggressive Ramos. Davies’ breakout season shouldn’t overshadow what Mendy has done in 2019-2020 for Los Blancos; he’s also deserving of strong praise worldwide.