Real Madrid: Three ways the defence can line up next season
By Sudhir Salvi
MENDY-MILITAO-NACHO-CARVAJAL
Amid an injury crisis of epic proportions at the backend of last season, Zinedine Zidane had to turn to a backline which saw Eder Militao and Nacho Fernandez being employed in the heart of defence. The duo bloomed instantly and formed a partnership to reckon and was key to the Merengues finishing second in La Liga and making it to the Champions League semi-final.
Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal missed the latter end of the last season due to their respective injuries – something which seemed like a regular occurrence during the course of the 2019/20 campaign. Though the likes of Miguel Gutierrez, Marcelo at left-back and Alvaro Odriozola and Lucas Vazquez at right-back covered for the absentees, the first-choice duo is too good to be dropped.
Carvajal, when fit, is arguably the best right-back in the world and adds an unparalleled amount of quality from the right flank, which is supposedly weak in the team because of the lack of a quality right-winger. Mendy meanwhile is far ahead of Marcelo in the pecking order, particularly because of his defensive resilience and has proven to be a tough nut to crack for the opponent.