Real Madrid: 5 burning questions after crucial win over Athletic Bilbao

3. Will Luka Jovic get a real chance?

If you blinked, you probably missed Luka Jovic’s substitute appearance for Real Madrid against Athletic Bilbao. He came in for the final minutes of stoppage time and had no chance at making an impact against Bilbao, as Real were seeing the game through.

It’s been the story of the season for Jovic. Come on for 10 minutes for Karim Benzema, run around a little, and hope to score a late goal or grab a late assist. Jovic has actually made a goal contribution a few times, but there’s no real chance for the Serbian international to get into a rhythm and show the skills that made Real spend 60 million euros on him from Eintracht Frankfurt.

But remember, this was Jovic’s first game back from fracturing his foot, so the fact that Zinedine Zidane even put him on the pitch is a positive. Jovic has the talent to be a future star for Real Madrid at the striker position, regardless of what the rumor mill barks.

It’s unclear if that chance will come before 2019-2020 ends and if it will come in the form of a start or multiple, extended periods off the bench. Two-striker formations don’t work and Karim Benzema is too important to bench, but never rule it out, especially during a time when rotations are crucial.