Real Madrid: 3 keys to victory against Valencia on LaLiga’s Matchday 5

2. Real Madrid must play David Alaba in central defense

Real Madrid’s midfield has been looking shaky since the start of the season. Obviously, one cannot expect a team to recover from losing the services of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane- arguably the best center-back pairing of the generation- in an instant. The transition will take some time. But, something that has become obvious is that the Eder Militao – David Alaba combination works better for Los Blancos.

The second key, therefore, is to start the new signing in central defense. Carlo Ancelotti too had words of praise for the Austrian and hinted towards having him play in central defense more regularly. He did a good job against Inter Milan in Real Madrid’s clean-sheet victory. Though Real was lucky to not have conceded in the first half, they did look like a team who could defend, thanks to the Eder Militao and David Alaba pairing at the back and of course, the Belgian wall, Thibaut Courtois.

Another reason why having a strong center-back pairing would be important against Valencia is the threat of Goncalo Guedes, Valencia’s deadliest attacker so far in the season. He already has two MOTM performances already under his belt in three appearances, per WhoScored along with two goals and an assist. Alaba would be lined up against Guedes and would be expected to dismantle his threat.