Xabi Alonso: Mastantuono could start for Real Madrid v Barcelona | OneFootball

Franco Mastantuono arrived at Real Madrid in August and quickly earned a spot in Xabi Alonso’s rotation, taking advantage of Jude Bellingham’s injury and Rodrygo’s drop in the coach’s consideration. The Argentine has started several matches, and this Sunday he could make his first appearance in the Spanish football Clásico against Barcelona.

The Merengues host the Blaugrana at the Santiago Bernabéu with the top spot in LALIGA at stake (Real Madrid 24pts, Barcelona 22pts), and Xabi Alonso faced the media in a press conference ahead of the match. Naturally, the focus was on the starting eleven that will take the field from the first minute, and the Spaniard was quite clear: “I have it in my head,” he stated.

The main question revolved around Jude Bellingham’s inclusion, as he is still not at his best after recovering from the shoulder surgery he underwent mid-year. And with the Briton “at 80%,” his chances of starting also decrease, while those of players like Mastantuono increase.

Even so, Xabi Alonso was cautious: “All the players in the squad could start,” he warned. “[The starting eleven] I have it in my head,” he assured without revealing it, and highlighted: “We have recovered almost all the players who couldn’t be there against Juventus.”

Mastantuono vs. Bellingham for a spot in Real Madrid’s starting eleven vs. Barcelona

Bellingham returned to play at the end of September, but he has only started three matches since then: the loss to Atlético de Madrid, the win over Getafe, and the victory against Juventus midweek, where he scored his first goal of the season. In contrast, Franco Mastantuono has recorded one goal and one assist in eight matches as a starter this season for Real Madrid.

The head-to-head battle for a spot in the starting eleven seems the clearest scenario, although both could start—or neither—since Xabi Alonso has several options in that second line of attack, including Brahim Díaz and Arda Güler, both of whom started on Wednesday against Juventus in the Champions League.

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