3 Real Madrid players who must shine if David Alaba, Dani Carvajal miss Supercopa final

Nacho (CB)

Nacho has never really been a definite starter for the club, until the final two months of the 2020/21 season in which he played really well for the club. But, he hasn’t been able to play at the same level as last seasons, like Vazquez. He has mostly been limited to second choice roles and little cameos at the end of the match, but on Sunday he would have to cover for David Alaba, who has been a crucial part of Ancelotti’s setup and might be possibly out for Sunday’s clash.

Nacho had covered for the Austrian against Barcelona, and he had a decent performance in the Clasico, though he had some trouble playing against Luuk De Jong. But the Clasico has already shown that Alaba’s absence was a huge loss for the team, and it would be very difficult for any other centre-back in the team to be as impactful as Alaba.

Nacho isn’t exactly a great progressive passer like Alaba, but he has a few methods of his own. He has a good dribbling technique and is a decent progressor of the ball. Nacho has a habit of advancing high up the field from the left flank, with Casemiro or Mendy dropping to take his place. It has often helped Real Madrid in link-up play and wing-attacks, with one such move from Nacho being helpful in winning a penalty against Inter Milan in November 2020.

He hasn’t yet played freely as a centre-back this season and never really expressed himself on the field, but tomorrow he needs to step up and play more like the Nacho we know. He has a habit of committing an odd mistake, and it is important for him to focus on having a faultless game.