Real Madrid: 3 reasons why you should be sold on Eder Militao as a future star
His defensive quality is elite
Of course, all the extra traits and buzzwords are nice, but, at the end of the day, Real Madrid wants to have the best of the best in defense. For years, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane have set the benchmark together as a center back duo. It looks like this partnership will be broken up this summer, but Eder Militao has shown that he has the quality to be one of the rare players who can fill one of their shoes in 2021-2022.
When you watch Militao play, it’s striking how the 23-year-old is so wise for his age. He reads the game brilliantly and can make difficult interceptions or anticipate the runs that a Madrid defender must read correctly. His closing speed is ridiculous. Varane and Ramos have impressed football fans for years with their ability to chase down forwards, and Militao is just as good. Scarily enough, he might even be better, looking at some of the chase-downs he’s made recently.
Militao defends with quality and heart. He can make those technically difficult tackles, tangling his legs between the ball to cut out a dangerous pass. And he will put his body on the line in the box, doing whatever he can to have the presence of mind to make sure the ball deflects off his body in a way that prevents a second-chance effort or corner. Sometimes, you’ll even notice him positioning his body so that the block goes to a teammate to start a possible counterattack.
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The Brazilian center back thinks steps ahead like that. He has really shown a new side to his game these last couple of months. With 3.3 tackles per game and 1.7 interceptions per game in the Champions League this season, Militao has also shown that he can raise his game to unreal heights when the occasion calls for it.