Real Madrid: 5 key players to watch against Alaves

CDM Casemiro

Casemiro will anchor the midfield for Los Blancos against Alaves, just as he always does. Alaves don’t have a star-studded midfield by any means, but this team loves to be tough and physical and make space at a premium when defending. Therefore, Casemiro will need to be up to the task of making life miserable for them, in addition to covering for the center backs when dealing with the strong Joselu and skilled Lucas Perez.

His defensive work will be most important to Real Madrid on Friday, as both strikers carried a threat for Alaves when Real first played the upstarts in La Liga this season.

LB Ferland Mendy

Lucas Vazquez will probably be called upon to start for the suspended Dani Carvajal against Alaves, but Ferland Mendy actually played at the right back position as a substitute against Eibar when Real subbed off Carvajal for some early rest. Mendy did alright defensively, but you could tell he wasn’t used to attacking down the right-hand side.

This season, Mendy has been the best defensive left back in European football, and he will need to be at that level against Aleix Vidal on the right side of Alaves’ formation. But if he does play on the right side of the defense instead of Vazquez, then even more will be asked of the former Lyon standout, especially offensively. But nobody would doubt that he’s up to the task.