Real Madrid vs. Eibar: 3 takeaways from an excellent 2-0 win

Isco, Marcelo come up big for Real Madrid

Marcelo and Isco are on the long list of players who could be sold by Real Madrid this summer, but I think the operative word here is “could” and not “sold”. Real could save quite a bit of money on the wage bill by transferring either player, particularly Isco, and they may still do so for the long-term progression of the club.

But Isco and Marcelo are still useful players to Real Madrid in the right roles, as the showed us yet again today.

Isco played in a “free role” on the left-hand side of the attack, where he could playmake and also cut inside onto his right foot. We saw him more active than usual defensively in the pressing game, and he was at his vintage best at times in terms of chance creation. He had one assist chalked off for offsides, and another potential assist from a corner was robbed by a woeful attempt from Eder Militao that came closer to the corner flag.

Meanwhile, Marcelo was even better. His deliveries were pinpoint, and he also lost an assist due to offsides. Marcelo’s first touches were of the quality we see on his “best of” highlight reels, reminding fans that his technical quality is simply unsurpassable at the left back position.

Expect Marcelo was not a left back today. He was more like a winger on the left side, with Ferland Mendy staying back as the left-sided center back and then Isco tucking inside. Both Isco and Marcelo were thus the hub of the team from a creative perspective, and they helped create a lot of space for Marco Asensio that the Andalusian right-sided attacker took full advantage of.

Marcelo has now played at a high level in a “back three” formation, albeit in two different roles, against Getafe and Eibar. This tells me he can be an X-Factor for Real Madrid in the title race.