Real Madrid: 3 hidden gems to watch out for this season
By Sudhir Salvi
ANDRIY LUNIN
Ukrainian international Andriy Lunin will enter his second full season as a Real Madrid first team player, but will remain as an understudy to Thibaut Courtois for the foreseeable future. However, with just one appearance last season in all competitions, there was little to write home about his qualities, but they were present for all to see during the most recent pre-season matches.
Against both AC Milan and Rangers, the 22 year old did a very good job at keeping the opposition out. Although the Whites lost by a 2-1 score against the Scottish outfit, the score line could have been much worse had it not been for Lunin. While Courtois’ form in general may make it nearly impossible for Ancelotti to provide Lunin with more minutes, he has shown his potential now.
In addition to that, the player also has an extra incentive to perform and would have worked tremendously hard in the summer after being left out of his national team’s European Championship squad. While he may have been little at fault to have featured in just one match during the season, the national side’s decision also made full sense given his lack of playing time.
2021-22 looks to be a crucial season for the Ukrainian.