The situation
Real Madrid 2022-23 has already started, it did so on July 8 with the start of the preseason and in the early hours of Saturday to Sunday it took another step with the dispute of the first friendly of the preparation, against Barcelona in Las Vegas (United States). A duel that ended in a 0-1 defeat (Raphinha’s goal), which showed once again that Madrid will have a hard time generating an attack when they don’t have Benzema on the pitch (the Frenchman, who joined the preseason late , did not play) and in which the two signings from this summer could be seen for the first time in white: Rüdiger and Tchouameni. In the absence of more and better evidence, the feeling was that both have landed on their feet in Madrid. Both were starters and played the first 45 minutes of the game; at the break they stayed on the bench, giving up their places to Mendy and Casemiro, respectively. A small sign indicates that both start well positioned in Ancelotti’s head to be part of the starting eleven in official matches , starting with the first of the course, that is, the European Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt on August 10 in Helsinki (Finland). Ancelotti has already warned that, in the pre-season friendly from July 30 to 31 against Juventus, he will play a team very similar to the one that will play for the first title of the season. The fight between both now happens to be in the starting eleven of that duel against Juve.
Rudiger, surprising lateral
Ancelotti’s eleven did not generate too much surprise; the arrangement adopted by the defense on the field did, because when everyone imagined that the left back was going to be Alaba and that Rüdiger would act as central defender, it became clear that he was the other way around. The German began his career in white as a left-handed winger. “I really liked Rüdiger. I’m not crazy, and he’s very smart. In that position he can play, as well as change during the match with Alaba. They didn’t do it today, because he was good”, explained Ancelotti after the duel, noting that his initial idea is to keep Alaba as a central defender: “He will play left-back only when there is a need. I don’t want to change the couple from last year.”