Real Madrid are gearing up for one of their biggest games of the season on Tuesday night when they take on European Clasico rivals Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, having just knocked out another rival convincingly in Manchester City.
Los Blancos are always among the favorites in the Champions League until proven otherwise, though, in this case, most fans around the world view Bayern Munich as the best team in the world right now. So Real Madrid will have a chip on their shoulder.
They will also have a key position to watch going forward, especially in this game against the incredible Michael Olise, who has been nearly as good as Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in the 2025/26 season.
Real Madrid's LB is wide open
According to a new report from MARCA's Sergio Rodriguez, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa does not have a starting left back who is set in stone right now. He is starting an open competition wherein Ferland Mendy, Alvaro Carreras, and Fran Garcia all have an equal opportunity to get starts and establish themselves as the main man.
With Mendy, the defensive specialist, currently injured, you would have to think that the inside track goes to Alvaro. The former Benfica man was signed this past summer to be an upgrade, and the former academy product has been much better than the others going forward. He may struggle one on one against elite athletes on the wings, but he has been credible on the defensive end, too.
Fran has never broken out as a true starter for Real Madrid since being bought back from Rayo Vallecano, where he was one of the league's best left backs, but in recent weeks when both Ferland Mendy and Alvaro Carreras were out with injuries, Fran played at a very high level under Alvaro Arbeloa - a former starting Real Madrid fullback in his own right.
Real Madrid have three viable options, and while most people will point to Alvaro as the most well rounded option and the best starter to help Vinicius Junior and the Real Madrid attack, there is nothing wrong with a little open competition, especially at this juncture of the season. Alvaro cannot be complacent here, and both Mendy and Fran Garcia have played well enough in their outings to merit consideration if they can continue to make the most of their starts. Consistency is the key.