Real Madrid: 5 takeaways from a 1-0 win over Athletic Club

Miguel Gutierrez impresses again

Miguel Gutierrez made his first start for Real Madrid on Thursday night against Granada and stood out as one of the best players on the pitch. He even had a brilliant assist to open the scoring, scooping the ball over the defense for center midfielder Luka Modric to convert.

While Gutierrez could not contribute to any goals on Matchday 37, the Castilla standout was composed as ever. He made no mistakes defensively and had some nice exchanges offensively. Had Vinicius Junior been more up to it in the first half, perhaps Gutierrez would have made more of a mark on the match offensively.

According to WhoScored.com, Gutierrez had two tackles, an interception, and a pair of clearances against Athletic Club. San Mames is an intimidating place to play, even without fans. And for a young player making his second start against this rough-and-tumble side, it can be downright scary.

But once again, Gutierrez showed no sign of nerves. He remained calm in the tough challenges and wasn’t afraid to take players on. He tied Vinicius for the team lead with four dribbles completed, which is a highly impressive stat for the young left back. Gutierrez is showing that he is both the future and present for Real Madrid.