Stats: Fringe Real Madrid midfielder delivers dominant display for France against Belgium | OneFootball

Real Madrid midfield star Eduardo Camavinga has had a difficult past few months, missing out on the World Cup with France.

The Frenchman has also seen his prominence in the first team diminish over the past season and a half, struggling to break into the starting XI.

Camavinga produced an impressive all-round performance for France against Belgium, giving Jose Mourinho another reminder of the quality available to him in Real Madrid’s midfield.

The Madrid midfielder completed 62 of his 66 attempted passes, recording an excellent 94 percent success rate while also making an impact further forward and without the ball.

Camavinga combines control with creativity

Camavinga created three chances and completed nine passes into the final third, numbers that stand out considering the current composition of Madrid’s midfield.

His performance was not simply about keeping possession safely, either. The Frenchman recovered the ball five times, won six ground duels and was fouled on five occasions.

That combination shows the qualities that make him such an intriguing option: press resistance, physicality and the ability to carry or move possession into more dangerous areas.

A timely reminder for Mourinho

Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde have been difficult to dislodge from Mourinho’s preferred midfield, while Bernardo Silva offers pausa as an alternative.

Camavinga therefore faces serious competition for minutes. However, Madrid’s uneven start has shown why Mourinho might be better off experimenting with his midfield set-up.

The team have particularly struggled to reproduce their dominant Bernabeu performances away from home, where matches have too often become uncomfortable and chaotic.

Camavinga needs to give Mourinho a headache with consistent performances. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Camavinga has the qualities that could help change that. He can provide defensive energy without sacrificing technical security.

His ability to escape pressure with the ball at his feet can help Los Blancos progress through midfield rather than relying on individual attacking moments.

Competition bodes well for Madrid

Camavinga responded to the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup with an impressive display for Les Bleus in the 1-0 win against Belgium.

However, one strong international performance does not automatically demand a change to Mourinho’s preferred starting XI.

Club football demands different tactical requirements, and consistency remains the greater test for the Madrid midfielder.

Los Blancos already know the talent that Camavinga possesses. What they need now is for him to make the competition in midfield difficult for Mourinho to ignore.