Real Madrid: 3 X-Factors against Levante on Matchday 5
Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic
On Wednesday, Luka Jovic started for Real Madrid, making it the first time that the 2019 summer signing started in back-to-back games for Los Blancos. And Jovic, amidst rumors of a loan to Serie A or even Manchester United in order to obtain more playing time, rewarded Zinedine Zidane’s faith by playing at a high level.
Jovic was disruptive off the ball, constantly getting into dangerous positions. He was unlucky not to have scored, missing one good chance before getting denied a headed goal by a truly world-class stop from Real Valladolid’s backup keeper.
A third straight start for Jovic seems like too much to ask for, but it’s within reason. Between the two of them, Jovic was the better striker than Karim Benzema on Wednesday. Benzema’s had a bit of a slow start to the season, and he could be rested against Levante. Or Zidane could go with the same two striker pairing for a third straight game in order to help Jovic and Benzema build that all-important chemistry together.
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Jovic, if he starts, could find the back of the net against Levante. The matchup looks enticing for Jovic, who could feast on a questionable right side of the formation. A 4-3-3 is the more likely system, but Jovic could even finally get a start as the lone striker in that case.