Real Madrid Femenino: The Strongest Starting XI For Las Blancas
By Parshva Shah
Goalkeeper – Maria Isabel ‘Misa’ Rodríguez
One of the nine new signings, Maria Isabel is probably one of the best young goalkeepers in the world at the moment. In 2017, an 18-year old Misa signed for Atlético Madrid Femenino. She made her debut for the first team in a Copa de La Reina match in 2018. For the 2019-20 season, Misa signed for Deportivo Abanca.
In the Real Madrid Femenino squad, she seems to ahead of fellow goalkeepers Yohana Goméz and Sara Ezquerro in the pecking order. She was the only goalkeeper to be called up for her national side (Spain in Misa’s case) for the European Championship 2022 qualifiers.
In terms of quality, she will definitely bring a lot of quality between the posts. She has good reflexes and stands at 5ft 8in, the tallest goalkeeper in the squad.
Defence
Right-back: Kenti Robles
Former Atlético Madrid Femenino right-back and Mexican international Kenti Robles is yet another signing made during the summer. Along with a big reputation, she has truckloads of experience. She has already played for Espanyol, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid in Primera Iberdrola, so she is perfectly acclimatized to the pressures of the league. She is consistent and deadly with her skills. The right side of the defence will be definitely shored up with her presence. I believe she will be one of the most impactful signings.
Centre-back: Babett Peter
The German is yet another experienced campaigner who was signed by CD Tacon in the 2019-20 season. The 2016 Summer Olympics Gold medalist has represented Germany 118 times from 2006 and 2018, winning the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2009 European Championship.
She is an aerial threat and has a real eye for goal. She has played for top clubs like VfL Wolfsburg and in Germany for five seasons. The experience of playing for CD Tacon in 17 league games will also help the team.
Centre-back: Ivana Andrés
Real Madrid Femenino have had an astonishing transfer market, signing another highly talented player in Ivana Andrés, a former Valencia and Levante player and a Spanish international. At 26, she has already appeared in 275 Primera Iberdrola matches. She has over 11 years of experience in the top tier of Spain and that will go a long way in plugging the holes in Las Blancas’ defence.
Left-back: Marta Corredera
The 2015 Spanish Female Player Of The Year is going to be an incredible addition to Las Blancas. What’s really got me all hyped up is that four players out of the five that form the defence (the goalkeeper + the back-four) are new signings. There has been an upgrade in all the positions and that bodes well for a team that conceded nine goals against Barcelona last season.
Having played for Arsenal, Espanyol, Atlético Madrid Femenino, Levante, and Barcelona Femení, Marta Corredera is a versatile player who could operate as both a wing-back/full-back and winger on both the left and right flanks. That means she can cover for four positions on the pitch, an asset that will definitely add the X-factor. To begin the season, she will be playing as a left-back since Kenti Robles is going to be the preferred right-back.
Marta Corredera has already shown flashes of her brilliance in the training, evident in the video where she assists Kosovare Asllani for a backheel goal after a run down the left flank.