Real Madrid: Grading every fullback from the 2020-2021 season

LB Marcelo

Sticking to the left side of the defense, we’ll now discuss somebody who did not have nearly as productive of a season. Marcelo is one of the biggest club legends at Real Madrid, because he was the best left back in the world during Real’s peak achievement of three straight Champions Leagues. His first touch, creativity, dribbling skills, accurate crossing, attacking genius, and additional scoring threat made him a perfect X-Factor for the team. And we cannot forget how important his connection with Cristiano Ronaldo was.

Marcelo was not effective in 2019-2020, but he wasn’t a huge liability either. He even had a massive performance in a 2-0 win over Barcelona in the second Clasico of the season, helping the team pick up a decisive three points in the title race at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the 33-year-old had no such signature performance in 2020-2021. He was a disaster at the left back position, with some of Real Madrid’s worst matches coming with Marcelo in the XI. Disasters against Valencia, Getafe, Chelsea, Cadiz, Deportivo Alaves, and Shakhtar Donetsk all came with Marcelo in the lineup. For a man who was once a king in the Champions League, it is quite the fall from grace to see that he did not win a single Champions League match in the 2020-2021 season.

It is likely time for Marcelo and Real to part ways so that the positive memories are not further soured by Marcelo’s physical decline. He had a good game as a creative midfielder against Getafe when Zinedine Zidane first experimented with a back three, but that’s honestly all the positives that can be said about Marcelo’s season.

Rating: 4.0