Real Madrid: Five takeaways from April 2021

Marcelo’s time is up

As sad as it is to type this, we must tell the truth here. Marcelo is no longer capable of playing for Real Madrid in any role.

We already knew he was done as a left back in a back four. Los Blancos had no choice but to play him in this role against Getafe due to Ferland Mendy’s injury and a number of absences at center back. Marcelo can count himself very, very fortunate Getafe did not score, no thanks to him. Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, and even Victor Chust had to bail him out.

There was, however, hope he could play better as a left wing back, since he did well against Getafe in February and Eibar more recently. With Mendy still out, Zinedine Zidane started Marcelo on the left side of a 3-5-2 in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal vs. Chelsea.

Marcelo was horrible. He was so embarrassing in this match that he did not look like the guy who once ruled the Champions League as the world’s best attacking left back. The 32-year-old looked completely finished, as Chelsea relentlessly targeted him.

It’s over for Marcelo. If he couldn’t hang as a left wing back against Chelsea, there is no use in pretending that he has a place in this squad anymore.