Kylian Mbappe has been the man for Real Madrid this season. The Frenchman is Los Blancos' leading goalscorer, accounting for 60% of the team's goals, which, while impressive, is also an indictment of the rest of the attackers' lack of productivity this season.
Rodrygo is looking back to his best form, but as for the other attackers, the story is not the same. Players like Vinicius Jr, Franco Mastantuono, and Brahim Diaz, the latter of whom is having an AFCON tournament for the ages, struggled at Madrid when called on by Xabi Alonso.
Real Madrid needs someone to step up to the plate and bring a spark back to the attack, and it seems Gonzalo Garcia is the man to do that. The 21-year-old enjoyed a fantastic Club World Cup this past summer but hasn't been handed the same opportunities in the starting lineup since the tournament, until now, and he is showing exactly why he should be starting.
In Mbappe's absence, Alonso once again called on Gonzalo to fill the shoes of the Frenchman, and he ended up bagging an incredible hat-trick in a 5-1 victory over Real Betis. This is exactly the kind of performance Madrid needed while Mbappe is sidelined, but it could inadvertently spell disaster for one of Real Madrid's superstar attackers.
Gonzalo Garcia’s hat-trick is bad news for one Real Madrid superstar
One of Vinicius Jr or Kylian Mbappe could be in trouble following Gonzalo Garcia's hat-trick and rightfully so. After that performance, Gonzalo has to be a non-negotiable starter as he is the center-forward Real Madrid have been lacking all season. And the same goes for Rodrygo: the Brazilian has been in fine form and has earned his spot back in the starting lineup, leaving only one place for either Vinicius or Mbappe.
And based on recent form, it has to be Mbappe that gets that spot. The Frenchman is the team's leading goalscorer with 29 goals this season; meanwhile, Vinicius has now gone 16 games without a goal or an assist, which is grounds for the Brazilian to fall to the bench, unfortunately, something he definitely won't like.
We've already seen how Vini reacted earlier this season when Alonso opted to keep the Brazilian on the bench in favor of other attackers, as well as how he reacts to being substituted from matches in favor of other attackers. Xabi Alonso could unfortunately find himself in a lose-lose situation with his attacking selections, but he has to do what is best for the team performances.
Managing Real Madrid is one, if not the toughest, job for any coach in world football, and this decision on Xabi Alonso's hands could be what makes or breaks the rest of his season and his future at the Bernabeu.