Valencia vs. Real Madrid: Will Eduardo Camavinga make his first start?

Real Madrid center midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is having a dream start to life with his dream club. Camavinga came off the bench to make his debut in his first possible game, and he scored in Real’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu, partaking in the brilliant second half that buoyed the 5-2 win over Celta Vigo.

Not finished there, Camavinga also came off the bench against  Inter Milan at mid-week in the 2021-22 Champions League opener. Camavinga’s inclusion proved to be the game-changing move, as he made a brilliant run off the ball and one-touch assist to Rodrygo Goes for the late winner in a 1-0 win.

Now, many Madridistas want to know if the 18-year-old phenom will make his first career start for Los Blancos on Sunday night against yet another difficult opponent, Valencia. Los Blancos have not beaten the Bats at the Mestalla since the 2017-2018 season, losing to the famous club at this venue last Fall by a score of 4-1.

Camavinga has shown through two limited appearances, averaging five goal contributions per 90, that he has what it takes to make a profound impact on the bench. While he cannot capture lightning in a bottle quite so emphatically as a starter, he could make a more consistent impact in the Real Madrid lineup in the XI.

Eduardo Camavinga has played well enough to earn a start for Real Madrid at Valencia

As Carlo Ancelotti himself admitted, Camavinga still has things to learn. But with Toni Kroos still out and both Fede Valverde and Luka Modric potentially fatigued, Camavinga could enter into the equation at Valencia as a starter. Modric is so difficult to bench even when he is tired, and Valverde seems to have an entire extra set of lungs.

But Camavinga is quickly shown that he, too, is undeniable. It is a fairytale to see how the former Rennes man has so smoothly imposed himself on the opposition in the Royal White kit, as there has not been the slightest hiccup in his transition from the Ligue 1 underdogs to the most-followed club on the planet.

Those growing pains could come to the fore for Camavinga as a starter, but Valencia may be the right team for Ancelotti to give Camavinga this chance. They are a strong team and dangerous at home. Furthermore, they are tied on points and in goal differential with Real Madrid in the league table. Yet they do not have the quality in midfield that Real do, and thus Camavinga can exploit spaces against them, breaking down Jose Bordalas’ structure as he did Simone Inzaghi’s in just one instant.

Camavinga has a legitimate chance at starting at the Mestalla this Sunday night. It is probably too soon for the cautious Ancelotti to make this move, but with Toni Kroos still healing from pubalgia, the door remains open for the young French midfielder to seize the spotlight once more, albeit with increased responsibility as a starting player in a hyped-up LaLiga battle between two of the country’s traditional power clubs.