Real Madrid have Ferland Mendy back in the matchday squad after he missed a handful of matches since helping Los Blancos hold Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield in the quarterfinals. Now, he is expected to start, despite not playing in several matches, against Chelsea after Real struggled to contain the Blues in the first leg.
Although Real did not play their best football last week at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano against Thomas Tuchel’s side, they did enough to hang in there with a 1-1 draw. And now, they have Mendy, Sergio Ramos, and Fede Valverde back. Not to mention a fully rested Toni Kroos and Luka Modric after both looked worn out in the first leg.
There are several players who can make a difference in the second leg, including Eden Hazard in the starting XI at his old stomping grounds. But there is no player who can provide a bigger upgrade to Real Madrid than Ferland Mendy.
Usually, Real struggle when Mendy is not playing at left back and the team selects a back four. But what’s interesting is that they went with a back three in the first leg to match Tuchel’s formation. Yet they still struggled defensively without Mendy, as Marcelo kept getting picked on by Chelsea, who wisely identified the over-the-hill defender as the weak link.
Ferland Mendy is an important player to Real Madrid defensively
Mendy is a totally different proposition. Whereas Marcelo is slow to get back on defense, Mendy never sacrifices his defensive duties. He’s not half the crosser Marcelo is and does not have the same quality with his final ball, but he is just as good at carrying the ball up the pitch at this stage. Mendy works tirelessly and intelligently for the team, and he is very adept in the tackle. You can scarcely name an attacker who has beaten Mendy one-on-one with consistency.
Therefore, the upgrade Mendy provides to Real’s defense is considerable. He’s so good defensively that he has shown up successfully as a center back this season. It is a real asset to have a player who is so rarely dribbled past at left back. Mendy, per WhoScored.com, has not been dribbled past more than 0.5 times per game in a single league season in his entire career.
Offensively, Mendy is averaging a career-high 1.9 dribbles completed per game in the current Champions League campaign and literally worked harder than anyone in the competition. Mendy’s work rate on both ends of the pitch, calmness, and elite defending can be a subtle reason why Real Madrid win in the second leg.
The headline-grabbers are the forwards and midfielders, and there are other defensive players who get more praise like Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, and Thibaut Courtois. But Mendy is one to watch closely on Wednesday night.