Real Madrid: 3 ways Eder Militao improved his game to be a top-class CB
By Eesh Jhamb
2. Improved Heading Accuracy:
1.86 meter tall Eder Militao has worked a lot on making the most of his height.
Till now, we have seen Militao take advantage of his height mostly in defending the team in set pieces. With his high jumping, the Brazilian has been able to clear any dangerous crosses put in the box by the opponents. This is evident by the average of 2.5 Aerial Duels won per game,
The way plays and dominates in the air, reminds me of Raphael Varane. The former Madridista was a very crucial player for the club in the last few years and Real Madrid saw him as a future leader of the backline. The Frenchman was a great defender and one of the best in the world. Yet to reach his prime, Raphael Varane decided against renewing his contract with the club and thus left the Spanish capital of Madrid in the summer.
Raphael Varane was a great defender, using his height to a good effect. But he lacked a finishing touch when in the attack. We have often seen Varane managing to head the ball, but it would either land in the goalkeeper’s gloves or would be off target.
A similar problem is with Eder Militao too. He has scored some crucial goals, but he hasn’t been as effective as Sergio Ramos was from set pieces. Our former captain and leader was always a threat, and that would always be beneficial to the club.
And now this brings me to an important point, why Eder Militao must improve his heading in the final third. Have you noticed that Real Madrid hasn’t been a threat from set-pieces this season?
Los Blancos has scored a few goals from corners or free-kicks this season, but it is nothing compared to the number it was last season. Without the likes of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, the opponent’s defenders have to cover Karim Benzema and thus we are not able to capitalise on the crosses yet.
Eder Militao’s heading accuracy has improved a lot as compared to the last season, but I believe that there is still a lot of room for improvement. If Militao can improve his ability to score, he would do wonders for the club, and might even be recognised as one of the top-scoring defenders, just like his idol, Sergio Ramos.