“Finished player” is one of the many phrases uttered by the uneducated reply guys of Twitter dot com, and there were a number of Real Madrid players who were accused of being “finished” by such luminaries of the online world.
However, there were also players on Los Blancos criticized as being over-the-hill or liabilities to the team this season by hardcore Madridistas. By people who might actually know what they are talking about. And yes, even by yours truly.
Here are three Real Madrid players who showed they are not “finished” yet and made many of us eat a serving of humble pie, particularly in the second leg win over Manchester City.
RB Dani Carvajal
We begin with Dani Carvajal, who seemed to be done at the highest level after both Kylian Mbappe and Ferran Torres roasted him in quick succession. Getting beat by Mbappe with no help – Marco Asensio might be the worst defensive winger in Europe – is nothing to be ashamed of. Getting toasted by Ferran? It’s hard to call yourself a top player when that happens.
Carvajal had some great performances this season, but he also had enough lousy ones to make Madridistas concerned. In general, right back was seen as an immediate need in light of Carvajal’s struggles and the fact that his only backup, Lucas Vazquez, isn’t a real right back.
But after that rough patch, Carvajal stepped up, big-time. Aside from a couple of nervy moments against Manchester City in the first leg, Carvajal started to improve significantly again, and he was tremendous in the second leg. Real Madrid would not have made it out without him, though his contributions went underrated.
By standing out at the highest level of competition, Carvajal showed he is not totally washed yet. He is injury-prone and is not the same player he was a few years ago, but he is still a quality right back in spite of some of his flaws.
CB Nacho Fernandez
Real Madrid’s third center back Nacho Fernandez is something of a utility man for the Merengues and has been at the club since he was a child. He is a fan favorite, a symbol to Madrid, and something of an inspiration and institution.
Nacho has his limitations, and I still stand by my statement that he cannot be the third center back next season. But I do not say that out of any sort of disrespect for Nacho. If anything, I maintain this position as a matter of fact. Antonio Rudiger will be joining Madrid this summer as a free agent.
His strong performance at left back – which is very clearly not his best position, going by his other performances there this season – against PSG in the second leg Remontada was a pleasant surprise. But his real crowning performance was in the second leg against Manchester City.
Starting against one of the world’s most lethal attacks due to David Alaba’s injury, Nacho played with the ferocity we saw in his excellent 2020/21 Champions League campaign. He was disciplined, fiery, and snapping into decisive tackles.
Like Carvajal, Nacho is a big, overlooked, reason why Real Madrid made it past City and into the Champions League Final. He showed that while he also has some limitations, he remains a valuable asset to the defense and can raise his game on the biggest occasions. That, truly, is the essence of Madridismo.
DM Casemiro
Yes, if you can believe it, there were some Real Madrid fans calling Casemiro “finished” earlier this season and wanting a “conversation” about the world-class defensive midfielder. And in truth, I do not blame them or dare to insult them for their opinion. It was presumptuous, but Casemiro was not playing anywhere near his level to start the season. He was making a lot of sloppy mistakes, not quite “great” in defense, and extremely inconsistent.
That isn’t to say Casemiro has been perfect, but he has quite clearly shaken off those early-season – likely fatigue-related – issues. As with Dani Carvajal and Nacho, Casemiro showed his true value to Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinal against Manchester City.
Real Madrid very clearly would not have made it past the Premier League superpower without the defensive midfielder’s grit, intelligence, and elite defensive work. There is not a player on this planet who can do what Casemiro does defensively. The best of the midfield work came with Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, who must be praised for world-class play in the clutch. However, the base of the display was set by Casemiro against an organized City before the rest of the players could take advantage of the late-game chaos, just like against Chelsea.
Want your voice heard? Join the The Real Champs team!
The 30-year-old has averaged 2.6 tackles per game in both the Champions League and LaLiga, as well as at least 1.2 interceptions per match in both competitions. It is hard to imagine Real Madrid functioning at the highest level defensively without the covering and astute interventions that Casemiro brings to the table.