Real Madrid: The 3 most under-appreciated players from 2019-2020

Real Madrid fans appreciate their players appropriately, but not everyone gets the same plaudits as the superstars.

At Real Madrid, it’s easy to get overshadowed by superstars like Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema. Those two top goal-scorers did plenty of heavy lifting, especially upon La Liga’s return, to lead Los Blancos to a 34th league title. But they weren’t the only players instrumental in the title-winning season.

Here are three Real Madrid players who go under-appreciated, particularly when looking at the recognition they receive outside the fanbase.

CB Raphael Varane

At first, I didn’t want to pick Raphael Varane, because he is arguably the best center back in the world. But there are so many Teams of the Season that have omitted Varane, including the official UEFA.com Team of the Season for La Liga.

Sergio Ramos had the goals and was crucial to Real’s success, but those goals overshadowed Varane, who was truly the best defender for Real. His reading of the game, anticipation, and ability to stymie any talented forward’s runs helped Los Blancos maintain the league’s best defense with just 25 goals allowed.

Varane has been the best center back in the world in 2020 when looking at his ability to track runs and clear danger. He’s so good at playing the ball out of the back in tight space with his technical quality as a passer and dribbler. It’s a shame that he still doesn’t get his due.