Real Madrid right-back Debzel Dumfries had a really good performance against Serbia in the Netherlands' final match of the international break. Dumfries started at right-back, and like he did in the games he played before, he had a really good performance for the Netherlands once again.
It is something that Real Madrid fans have not seen from him in their team's shirt, but it was really good to watch him play the way he did. This was one of the two games where he finally showed exactly what Real Madrid bought him for.
Dumfries had 9 defensive contributions in that match, which included four tackles, two interceptions, and three clearances. He also won seven of his 13 duels, created one big chance, completed 38 of his 45 passes with 84% passing accuracy, and was not dribbled past even once in the entire match.
Serbia are not the best football team in the world, which would obviously contribute to Dumfries's good performance. Even then, it was impressive to watch.
Denzel Dumfries has yet to show any of this for Real Madrid
Real Madrid have also had some easy games, and even in those easy games, Dumfries has just not looked good. He has looked lethargic with the ball. He has been beaten by many, many of the wingers he has faced on his side on many occasions. He has lacked the intensity that Real Madrid were expecting from him when he first joined the club, and even though he has had glimpses of good dribbles here and there, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been the much better player for Real Madrid in limited minutes.
This is a frustrating point because everyone knows that the talent in Dumfries is there. He has shown what he is capable of bringing to the table for the Netherlands, but he isn't able to do the same for his club. Even at the World Cup in the summer, he was one of the Netherlands' best players in many games, contributing with assists and defensive interventions on a regular basis. Ever since he joined Real Madrid and started playing for the club, he just hasn't looked good in a white shirt.
Hopefully that changes soon, but until that does, Jose Mourinho needs to realise the player that he has in Trent Alexander-Arnold. If Dumfries was playing better than Trent, then it would make complete sense to start the better player.
Starting Dumfries just because you want to start him and not because he is better than Trent is a very confusing decision, given what Trent brings to the table for Real Madrid. He can solve so many of Real Madrid's build-up problems, and Dumfries is not able to do that, which is exactly why many fans are very confused about him playing as much as he has in this form.
Hopefully Dumfries's form improves, and hopefully Trent's minutes also improve, because that is something that Real Madrid desperately need this season.
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