The state of Valverde’s mind
The element that best calibrates the general state of Real Madrid, for some time now, is the mercury that runs through the veins of Fede Valverde. If it catches fire, so does the equipment; if he is taciturn, he is an anemic Madrid. These Mundialito semifinals once again showed that after Ramos’ testosterone leadership , his natural heir is the Uruguayan Falcon. His goal against Al Ahly, paradoxically with a resolution worthy of an iceberg, was received with more joy than usual by his teammates. It wasn’t just another goal, celebrating him in the sky has a very intimate message for him and his family. When he headed into the Prince Moulay Abdellah tunnel in the qualifying round, to fulfill his commitment to be the Madrid footballer who would speak to the media alongside Ancelotti, he pondered what to say and opted for overwhelming sincerity. “I’m not at the same level as before the World Cup,” he admitted. The image of him being substituted against Mallorca, hitting the room for the substitutes, was revealing. “The bench is not to blame for not having a good game that day,” he joked in Rabat.
Redirecting anger
Valverde has redirected the anger caused by having temporarily lost the productivity of that torrent that he displays in each game. Against Al Ahly, he was clearer where to put the scalpel and where to offer. He was the footballer who received the most balls (18) between his midfield and the rival defense. In that strip of land where things happen, the Falcon dominates and surprised the Egyptians before, during and after his goal. With his nine goals, he is one away from covering Ancelotti’s famous bet and his choral contribution is four assists, one away from his record four seasons ago.