Xabi Alonso’s decision leaves no room for Mastantuono | OneFootball

The excitement generated by Franco Mastantuono's promising start at Real Madrid seems to have diminished. The 18-year-old Argentine's football performance has declined in recent matches, something completely normal for a player of such a young age, and he lost his starting position due to a decision by Xabi Alonso.

The Real Madrid coach, who had defended him from some criticism days earlier and assured that they were "satisfied" with his performance on the field, decided to bench him in the match against Juventus in the Champions League and days later also against Barcelona in La Liga.

In the first match, he came on at the brink of extra time, while last weekend he celebrated the 2-1 victory in the Clásico from the comfort of the substitutes' bench. His position as a false right winger, where he usually plays with an inverted profile, was taken by the Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga.

"Another position unlocked," joked the French midfielder on his social media, accustomed to playing on the sides of the defense and in the central circle. Now he plays close to Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Arda Güler.

"The four in the midfield played a very good match. Eduardo played a great match," praised Xabi Alonso. This tactical decision sidelines Mastantuono, who has been losing ground at the club since the 5-2 defeat: he was taken off against Keirat Almaty and Villarreal, came on late against Juventus, and was not considered against Barcelona.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.