Isco came on as a second-half substitute to help Real Madrid take control in the middle of the pitch.
Real Madrid comfortably ran past a brave Huesca side, scoring four goals. Let me try and recall the last time I used the word ‘comfortably’ to evaluate Real Madrid’s performance.
You know what, I can’t recall the last time I said that because such has been the scarcity of goal-laden displays. If I am not wrong, the team last scored four goals in a single match against Osasuna in a 4-1 victory on the road. That was also the last time Luka Jović got on the scoresheet.
It might still be early to say this (considering Real Madrid face Inter in a few days in the UEFA Champions League), but Zinedine Zidane’s troops might have just got the monkey off their backs?
I will leave breaking down the team’s performance to my fellow writers because I am here to stress on Isco’s cameo in particular.
He came on as a substitute as a part of the triple change enforced by Zizou in the 60th minute, replacing Fede Valverde.
From his first involvement, it was clear that Isco was in a different mood. He was making incisive runs through the middle-third, wriggling his way around the opposition players, and choosing the right outlets in transition. It would be safe to say that his 30-minute display today had much more quality than all of his appearances so far this season.
There was some real swagger about the way Isco moved and passed the ball. He was toying with Huesca’s defenders, although I would agree that his influence did wane a tad during the closing minutes. That could be attributed to the amount of ball the full-backs and wingers were enjoying.
Can this performance be a springboard for Isco to redeem himself and get back into Zizou’s plans? If yes, who can he replace in the line-up? How does that affect the playing time of Fede Valverde, Martin Ødegaard, and possibly Marco Asensio?
Well, these questions do not need answering at the moment. What needs more emphasis is whether the performance against Huesca helped Isco revive his Real Madrid career.
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All of us know that Isco is not the same player from 2016-17, when he was not just one of the best in his position, but arguably one of the best in the world. It might be difficult to see Isco at the peak of his powers, but at 28, he certainly has all the time in the world. However, it remains to be seen if Zidane is willing to give that time to him.
Isco has been criticized for his subpar displays over the last few seasons. This season, his level seemed to have dropped down a level before he put on this encouraging display. What also doesn’t help are his recent comments (or rather complaints) that were caught on camera. But Zidane did well to swat away the stir caused by the media by responding in typical Zidane fashion. “It’s ambition. He wants to play. That’s positive,” conceded Zidane ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Zidane is obviously not Santiago Solari. Things are normal between Isco and Zidane. To put things into perspective, Isco’s 2019-20 season was far from poor. He was not at all bad. There were games where his performances were reminiscent of his 2016-17 self.
Injuries and a lack of playing time haven’t helped Isco’s case. He hasn’t gotten a consistent run of games under his belt to show what he is truly capable of. If his performance against Huesca is anything to go by, I can see him grabbing more and more minutes.
He is the most creative midfielder in the team alongside Ødegaard and his quality is undeniable. All he needs is to regain some confidence and have the backing of the coach. If that happens, we might very well see the old Isco again.