Iker Casillas
THE 33-YEAR old shot-stopper could soon be replaced in goal by Costa Rican Keylor Navas but Casillas โ after captaining them in the Champions League final โ remains the incumbent.
Daniel Carvajal
Caravjal was born in Madrid and has been with the club since the age of 10, bar one season with Bayer Leverkusen. Indeed, Real rate the right back highly enough to have used their buy-back clause after just one year.
Raphaรซl Varane
French centre-half Varane joined from Lens in 2011 and looks to be the natural โ and far less likely to be shown a red card โ replacement for Pepe. Reported interest from Chelsea may see the French international depart this summer though.
Sergio Ramos
Despite being seemingly around forever, Ramos is still just 28 and has matured as a footballer. His attacking threat โ as demonstrated in last seasonโs Champions League semi-finals and final โ is not to be underestimated but, defensively, questions still remain.
Marcelo
Potentially the weakest link the starting XI, Marcelo has a nasty habit of affording the wingers he is supposed to be marking acres of space, usually after one of his trademark runs forward comes to nothing.
Gareth Bale
There may still be some confusion over just how much he cost Real โ a lot of which has to do with keeping a certain number seven happy โ but, given they won both the Copa Del Rey and Champions League finals with the former full-back scoring vital goals, you imagine Madrid feel it was worth every cent.
Toni Kroos
Compared to some of Los Merenguesโ signings over the past few seasons, Madrid picked up Kroos for the bargain basement price of โjustโ โฌ30 milllion. A goal-scoring midfielder, it remains to be seen just how much defensive work heโs capable of.
Luka Modric
Though Madrid signed Isco for โฌ30m just last year, it could well be that Modric is the man Carlo Ancelotti sees partnering Kroos in midfield. The Croatianโs ability to pick out a killer pass remains his biggest asset.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Still just 29. Still easily in the top two players in world football
James Rodrรญguez
The newest member of this Galรกcticos era, Rodriguezโ brilliant World Cup โ goal of the tournament as well as finishing as leading scorer โ helped cement a reputation he built with Porto and, last season, Monaco.
Karim Benzema
Perhaps the only out and out forward in the XI โ though Real wonโt want for goals โ Benzema has come on in leaps and bounds since struggling to establish himself in his first season with the club.
Why do ye think Casillas is suddenly going to get back in goal after 18 months of sitting on the bench? Especially after his howlers in the CL final and at the world cup.
I stopped reading once you suggested Casillas would remain Madrids number havenโt you watched the them for the last 2 years?
Casillas wonโt be playing, marcelo is awful and Ramos is a total headless chicken. The other eight are handy enough!!
Back 4 not great
Their defence can be got at especially if modric and Kroos are the the midfield neither real ball winners
There not real ball winners because there is no need for them to be. They donโt give the ball away which suits Madrid as they will generally have more possession than the opposition
Didnโt Coentrao start the Champions League Final? Because heโs better than Marcelo, who wasnโt getting a look in towards the end of the season. And Benzema is woeful, heโs actually appalling. If they donโt spend another ยฃ950 million by next Tuesday replacing him you would have to ask whatโs wrong with the world.
Marcelo was coming back from injury, he was first choice most of the season
Being a bit unfair on Marcelo, he can be suspect defensively at times but he changed the game for Real when he came on in the Champions League Final, he was extremely effective going forward.
Stay away from the glue Brian
What about do Maria , Iโm not saying that James isent good heโs a fantastic talent Iโm just saying do Maria is better.i know that James had a better World Cup but he is not proven in the ucl and di Maria is .
Doing Mariea is defo better than doing James ill grant you that.
I think you will change your tune after a few games Alex
Heโs just joined psg
That Ramos is an awful tit
Tge team there would never work there is no balance there has to be a deep lying midfielder who can defend and start attacks
It would only work on championship managerโฆ
Xabi Alonso. .I could do the job though
โWhy put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?โ Zidane said it when they lost Claude Mak, so whereโs the engine in this team?
Jealous english fans on this โฆ. sorry I ment irish football fabs โฆ no difference. .. yet all the so called big clubs are bought over by billionaires yet not buy the bestโฆ. jealousy it is. Pathetic sheepโฆ keep paying and buying the jerseys . Biggest club in Europe is real Madrid fact biggest club in Asia Manchester United lol haha
Nobody has any idea what you meantโฆ.
So no place for Isco in that team. Heโs not as good as the front 4 but still a very good talent. Would love to see him sign for Liverpool. And Xabi Alonso on a free transfer!!