Arbeloa makes statement about Real Madrid’s future with starting XI averaging just 23.3 | OneFootball

Real Madrid produced a memorable performance at the Santiago Bernabeu as they secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Elche. 

However, the scoreline was not the only talking point of the evening, as the match also highlighted the strong faith that manager Alvaro Arbeloa currently has in the club’s youth academy.

Real Madrid entered the game with serious squad limitations, as 10 first-team players were unavailable. 

Instead of relying purely on experienced options, Arbeloa decided to turn to the club’s famous academy, La Fabrica. The result was a starting lineup that had an average age of just 23.3 years.

Despite the inexperience on paper, the young side handled the challenge impressively and helped deliver a comfortable victory at the Bernabeu.

One of the most notable inclusions was young midfielder Thiago Pitarch, who started his fourth consecutive match. 

However, he was substituted later in the game so he could be rested ahead of Real Madrid’s upcoming Champions League clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Who were the others?

As the match progressed, several more academy players entered the pitch. 

Dani Yanez had an assist to his name. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Diego Aguado, Gonzalo Garcia, Dani Yanez, Manuel Angel and Cesar Palacios were all introduced from the bench, further reducing the team’s average age and giving the Bernabeu crowd a glimpse of the club’s next generation.

Yanez even made a direct impact on the game by providing the assist for Real Madrid’s third goal.

Among the few experienced players in the lineup were Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal. At 33 and 34 years old, respectively, the pair provided leadership and stability within an otherwise very young squad.

The rest of the team was filled with players still in their early 20s. 

Fran Garcia, aged 26, was one of the slightly older outfield players, while Eduardo Camavinga, at just 23, represented the more established group of young stars.

Alongside him were emerging talents such as Dean Huijsen, Arda Guler and Gonzalo, all of whom are still only around 20 or 21 years old but already showing strong potential in top-level football.

By the final half-hour of the match, the presence of so many young players had reduced Real Madrid’s average age on the pitch to just 23.3 years.