Real Madrid: 5 players who must shine against Eibar on Matchday 29

CM Isco

MARCA predicts that Isco will start in midfield with both Toni Kroos and Fede Valverde set to miss this weekend’s match with injuries.

Isco has not received many opportunities to start this season. In fact, the Andalusian has logged a meager 546 minutes in La Liga this season. We did get to see him start in recent matches against Atalanta in the first leg and then Real Sociedad in La Liga. He was great in the first half of the latter match, though he surprisingly did not get a real chance thereafter.

It looks like this could be his chance. Isco is better in the attack than in the midfield, but he could still play a key role with his progressive dribbling and line-breaking passes. Let’s see how he and Vinicius Junior work together on the left.

LB Ferland Mendy

Ferland Mendy is another player to watch on the left-hand side, as he could be matched up one-on-one with Bryan Gil on Eibar’s right, if MARCA’s prediction ends up being correct.

Gil, a Sevilla loanee, is Eibar’s best player and one of La Liga’s best young players as a whole. He’s the kind of guy who should be on every club’s radar in some manner, and Real Madrid will need to deal with his trickery and chance-creation.

According to WhoScored.com, Gil has three goals and two assists this season with 2.6 dribbles completed per game and 1.7 key passes per game. He is Eibar’s main playmaker.

As for Mendy, his offensive contributions will be monitored carefully at left back. Eibar will likely force him to help in the attack, and his crosses have been disappointing in recent fixtures.