After a 4-0 victory over CA Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, Real Madrid headed into the second international break of the season in fine form.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti had to make a number of defensive alterations despite the fact that attackers like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Joselu performed admirably.
As a result of injuries to Eder Militao and David Alaba, as well as Nacho Fernandez’s suspension, Real Madrid made a few lineup adjustments, including starting Aurelien Tchouameni at center defense.
For the match against Osasuna, Tchouameni employed virtual reality training.
Tchouameni, a midfielder for his team, said in a video posted on TikTok (via Madrid Zone) that he had utilized VR footage to prepare for the game versus Osasuna.
The Frenchman watches footage of Osasuna’s offensive unit as the player wears virtual reality goggles in the clip.
Tchouameni’s plan was successful, as the youthful defender excelled in the central defense position against Osasuna.
In the absence of Militao, Alaba, and Nacho, the midfielder filled in well in the defensive third. Because of him, Real Madrid was able to maintain control of the match for its whole.
The safest bet for Ancelotti to make?
Carlo Ancelotti was encouraged by Tchouameni’s performance against Osasuna because of the present state of the defense.
Tchouameni’s versatility makes him a potential starter for Ancelotti against Sevilla and Barcelona later this month, as Alaba has yet to return to full health and Nacho is currently serving a ban.
However, after the game, the manager confessed that the Frenchman is not particularly fond of playing center defense, saying:
“For his first game at center back, Tchouameni performed admirably.”The irony is that we have a lot of middle defenders. I make fun of him (Tchouaméni) because he hates playing center defense.
The Italian, though, would like not to have to make that sacrifice in order for Real Madrid to have any chance of defeating the current champions, so he hopes that he won’t have to.