Our writers look back and discuss their Most Value Player and Most Underrated Player for Real Madrid in the 2019/2020 season roundtable.
The writers at The Real Champs got together for a roundtable analysis of Real Madrid’s the 2019/2020 season and answer five questions. They discuss the following question in part two of the roundtable.
Who is your MVP of the season, and the most underrated player of the season?
Parshva Shah
Karim Benzema, no doubt about that. 27 goals in 48 appearances without Hazard or Asensio for a majority of the season shows how incredible our No. 9 is! He won us the match a lot of times, and without his services, we would’ve barely made it to the top four in La Liga.
As for the most underrated player, it has to be Fede Valverde. He took the midfield by the scruff of its neck and is one of my favorites in the squad. The way is only up for him from here on, and he will have an even more significant impact next season.
Ali Al-Hassan
I know that the clear favorite here may be Karim Benzema, which is fair, but personally, I’m going to have to go with Luka Modric. Going from a low point last season where everyone thought he was finished (including me) to some incredible performances this year has to be rewarded.
The most underrated player, in my opinion, may be Rodrygo. I had a few players in mind, but I’ll go with Rodrygo since he spent most of the season being compared to Vinicius even though they’re not the same whatsoever. He showed that no stage is too big for him, and seeing his growth over the upcoming seasons will be extremely interesting to watch.
Nithanth Ravindran
MVP: Casemiro. Casemiro had no natural replacement in the squad and played almost every minute available to him. And boy did he impress. He was consistently great and is one of the huge reasons for Real Madrid’s new-found defensive solidarity.
Most underrated player: Dani Carvajal. Carvajal’s season has largely gone under the radar. While he hasn’t been as good as he was in 2016/17, he was undoubtedly good. He faced some consistency issues at the start of the season but recovered had was far more consistent, barely having any bad games.
Ben Sundock
My MVP this season is Thibaut Courtois, without a doubt. The man kept a clean sheet in over half of his matches. How could you argue against him? I will give honorable mentions to both Ferland Mendy and Casemiro, but there is simply no arguing against Courtois being the best players in the squad this year.
My most underrated player this season was Rodrygo Goes. His ability to adapt to life in Spain and the style of play blew me away. His attacking prowess and sheer speed always impress me, and he has an incredibly bright future.
Kevin Parvizi
The MVP of the season has to be Karim Benzema for carrying the attack. I could bring up the goals and assists, but we all know Benzema’s impact is felt beyond the goals and assists. He does so much to drop off and create chances for others. Real Madrid would not have won La Liga without him, plain and simple.
For underrated, I would go with Raphael Varanë. I am glad most of the fanbase is rallying around him after the Manchester City game because he has been so good in 2020. Only Virgil van Dijk can say that he is near Varanë’s level in terms of defensive quality.
Prasanna Baidya
There were so many good performers this season in the likes of Karim Benzema, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, and Thibaut Courtois. It is difficult for me to narrow it down to just one, but if I absolutely have to, I’ll go with Varane. The French World Cup winner was the best defender in La Liga. He consistently put on elite performances and helped Real Madrid have one of their best defensive seasons in history. While his glaring mistakes in the Champions League against Manchester City were unfortunate and cost Los Blancos a UCL run, he was a significant reason they won La Liga.
When it comes to underrated players this season, no one is more discounted than Isco. The Spanish international gets often criticized by fans, but his importance in Real Madrid’s title win this season was undoubtedly immense. Isco was one of the best players in both Classicos and gave numerous exciting performances in other big matches. His ability to offer control in the middle of the pitch and press resistance against pressing teams is vital for the way Zidane wants to play, and he certainly does not get enough credit for what he brings to the table.