Real Madrid: 4 burning questions from a 2-0 win over Eibar

Will Marcelo start in a big match?

Marcelo’s performance against Eibar is a case study in how deceiving the counting stats can be. WhoScored.com says he did not have a single key pass or dribble completed. Anybody who actually watched the match knows that Marcelo played well. He had an assist chalked off for offsides and a couple of more great crosses, including one that Isco just could not control from a sure-fire position.

In February, Marcelo had a great game in front of a “back three” set up, albeit in a more central, creative role. On Saturday, he played as more of a left winger than even a wing back, as Ferland Mendy basically stuck to defending to allow Marcelo free reign. And he took advantage, with Isco then tucking inside as the man occupying the “free role”.

We saw some vintage first-touches and crosses from Marcelo. As a whole, the 2020-2021 season has been a difficult one for the iconic left back, as his defensive qualities have dissipated. But Marcelo remains an asset to Real Madrid’s attack.

Now, will his performance against Eibar sway Zinedine Zidane into giving him a start in an upcoming match? He could be an interesting X-Factor against Liverpool. And we saw him perform well in El Clasico at the end of last season, pulling his weight defensively in a back four while also helping the attack.

But at this stage, if Marcelo were to start, he’d only start with three center backs behind him and not at left back. Could he play as a winger, wing back, or even attacking midfielder this coming week? That’s something for Madridistas to watch.