The Real Madrid loanee who is quietly rebuilding his reputation

The right-back position at Real Madrid has been a concern for the coaching staff since last season. The uncontested owner of the position is certainly Dani Carvajal who in my opinion is a better player than the explosive Achraf Hakimi or Trent Alexander-Arnold, the two main contenders to being the best in the world. A fully fit Carvajal will always be MY pick at least.

However, Carvajal’s issues have been with his fitness. For the majority of last season, he remained injured which saw Lucas Vazquez being converted to a makeshift right-back under Zinedine Zidane. Vazquez handled the responsibility so well that to this day, even the new boss Carlo Ancelotti has trusted him in that position.

Lucas Vazquez got injured in the second Clasico of the league last season, and that created a concerning gap in the defense. Alvaro Odriozola, the signing from Real Sociedad, was a natural choice. Odriozola picked on the opportunity with great responsibility. In the end, he remained one of the key contributors in Real’s title run. He also had two crucial finishes to his name towards the business end of the season alongside playing ever so brightly on the right flank delivering crosses and laying in his body in the line of forwards. Though he wasn’t mistake-free in his approach, he did a crucial job putting his hundred percent out on the pitch.

This season, Carlo Ancelotti decided to send him away on loan for a season of refinement. He did make a good case to stay and handle the backup role at right-back but the presence of Lucas Vazquez and the versatile Nacho Fernandez made it an easier decision. Odriozola can certainly be the future of Real Madrid at right-back. He made a strong case to be one last season and this season on loan at Fiorentina he has been playing some of his most consistent football.

Odriozola has been Vincenzo Italiano’s best option at RB

The Fiorentina squad is an extensive squad with plenty of options for head coach Vincenzo Italiano to choose from for every role in the lineup. The Italian coach has also experimented with a couple of formations while fielding his players out. The most used 4-3-3 has looked to be their mainstay. The 4-3-3 is also a conventional shape that Real Madrid mostly uses. Meaning, Odriozola has a natural advantage in playing this shape.

Italiano’s other options are Marco Benassi and Lorenzo Venuti who both have appeared in the conventional right-back role in this conventional shape. And, one casual look at the numbers is enough to suggest that Alvaro Odriozola is the team’s best possible option at right-back. This is especially good news for the Spaniard given the situation at Real Madrid wouldn’t have given him as much game time as he is enjoying now in Florence.

Odriozola has looked his normal self in the 4-3-3 shape. He is doing what he is good at, dissecting play with his accurate long balls at an average of 2.1 per game(89% success rate), per SofaScore. His linkup play with the likes of Riccardo Saponara and Dusan Vlahovic has been a treat to watch. He just has one direct goal involvement with an assist against Spezia in the last match where he was a super-sub. His introduction in the game truly changed things around. He also came very close to winning a second penalty for his side but the decision was made against him.

The numbers really do not do him justice. His accurate crossing and involvement inside the box have been top-notch and he should have had more assists to his name. He also came very close to scoring a couple of times. His performance against Udinese especially stands out, a defensive masterclass to guarantee the first clean-sheet of the season for Fiorentina. He ended the game with two tackles, one interception, and two crucial clearances, per WhoScored. He also put on a passing masterclass with two successful crosses into the box and three successful long balls.

He has set up six opportunities so far at an average of 1.25 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, per FBref. If he continues at the pace at which he is playing currently, he could be looking at a satisfactory tally of goal involvements by the end of the season. And, the best part is it hasn’t been all about his attacking abilities as a fullback.

He has been more than adapt at the back. Fiorentina has been playing an open brand of football quite similar to the Real Madrid has been playing currently under Carlo Ancelotti. And, he has been making strides at developing as a defender with yards of green grass behind him. Two of Fiorentina’s three clean sheets this season were kept when Odriozola was on the pitch. He has indeed been the loanee who has silently rebuilt his reputation so far. We only hope he develops further to help Real Madrid secure the right-back position without having to venture into the transfer market. Odriozola could save the club some crucial transfer budget.