Real Madrid are set to take on newly promoted Real Oviedo tonight after scraping a close win against Osasuna last week.
Oviedo arrive as a promising side fresh out of the Segunda Division, and history shows that Madrid do not always fare well against lower-ranked opponents.
As someone once said, Los Blancos are the Robin Hood of La Liga, collecting points from the elite and handing them to the underdogs.
The lineup tonight is expected to mirror the Osasuna game, with one change that Real Madrid fans will particularly enjoy.
Real Madrid fans will love who starts on the right wing tonight
According to Diario AS, Xabi Alonso is set to hand the latest signing Franco Mastantuono his first start of the season against Real Oviedo.
The Argentine came off the bench against Osasuna and made an immediate impression, nearly scoring and bringing far more involvement to the right wing than usual.
His inclusion tonight is an experimental move to test front-line combinations, with Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe expected to keep their usual spots.
At present, the right-wing pool consists of Mastantuono, Brahim Diaz, and Rodrygo, but Alonso has yet to establish a hierarchy. Brahim started the opener, Mastantuono is tipped to start tonight, and that leaves Rodrygo looking increasingly like the odd man out.
Mastantuono is widely hailed as Argentina’s biggest talent since Lionel Messi, and Real Madrid now have both the chance and the responsibility to polish this gem.
At just 20 years old, with a stellar record at River Plate, he looks ready to establish himself as a key figure in the squad and perhaps even as an undisputed starter.
On top of that, Alonso is also considering him as part of the free-kick roster. Two pieces of good news for the youngster in the same week.