1-0 in front following a very controversial first leg at the Estádio da Luz, can Real Madrid get the job done when Benfica visit the Bernabéu on Wednesday evening? Well, if Álvaro Arbeloa's side is going to claim the result they need, they'll have to do so without Kylian Mbappé, hence why Franco Mastantuono simply must come into the starting lineup.
Early this week, it was widely reported that Mbappé will sit out the second leg of los Blancos' Champions League play-off due to a knee injury. The French forward did play all 90 minutes of Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Osasuna at El Sadar, but subsequently felt the issue in training, so will not be available.
This is a seismic blow for los Merengues because to say Mbappé is a key figure for them would be an understatement.
Every Real Madrid player with 2+ goals this season
Players | Goals (all comps) |
|---|---|
Kylian Mbappé | 38 |
Vinícius Júnior | 12 |
Gonzalo García | 6 |
Jude Bellingham | 6 |
Arda Güler | 3 |
Franco Mastantuono | 3 |
Rodrygo | 3 |
Fede Valverde | 2 |
Raúl Asencio | 2 |
Álvaro Carreras | 2 |
Eduardo Camavinga | 2 |
Amazingly, Mbappé has scored 45% of Real Madrid's goals this season, bagging as many as Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Gonzalo García, Arda Güler, Franco Mastantuono, Rodrygo, Eduardo Camavinga, Fede Valverde and Brahim Díaz combined.
Thus, being without Mbappé could be a major concern for Arbeloa, desperate to have his talisman back in time for Monday night's clash with Getafe. Before then, los Blancos must take care of Benfica, seeking to set up a Champions League last 16 clash with either Sporting CP or Manchester City.
Mbappé is obviously irroplacable, but there is one glaring candidate to attempt to fill his void.
Franco Mastantuono's start to life at Real Madrid
Franco Mastantuono has only been a Real Madrid player for around six months, but has already enjoyed and endured an eventful period in the Spanish capital. The teenager arrived from River Plate for a sizeable fee of €45 million last August, thereby doing so with sky-high expectations.
Well, in the early weeks of the season, he looked like being the club's latest Galáctico. The Argentine certainly had the faith of Xabi Alonso, starting nine of the first 11 La Liga matches, scoring his first goal for the club during a 4-1 demolition of Levante at Estadi Ciutat de València.
However, since 1 November, Mastantuono has started only twice in the league and none of the six Champions League fixtures, an unused substitute across each of the last three outings, seemingly not front and centre to Arbeloa's plans.
Nevertheless, the 18 year old is clearly a talented player who, after a spell on the sidelines, deserves an opportunity. Arbeloa has been deployed a 4-4-2, of sorts, lately, so the balance of Vinícius drifting towards the left and Mastantuono moving out to the right would surely work nicely.
Also, given that Rodrygo is still nursing a hamstring issue, Arbeloa's attacking alternatives are Brahim Díaz, who has not been the same since AFCON, for obvious reasons, and Gonzalo García. In a match that José Mourinho's Benfica need to win, Mastantuono's dynamism, flair and pace make him the obvious candidate to partner Vinícius in attack, but we'll see who he goes for.