Real Madrid Confidencial Xabi Alonso reveals which position he thinks suits Mastantuono best
He acknowledges where he sees the Argentine playing, although he praises his versatility
Real Madrid face Oviedo this Sunday at Carlos Tartiere in the second matchday of La Liga. The team is still in preseason mode after the short amount of time the Madridists have had. However, they have to face an important match to earn 3 more points.
In this match, a player who could be important is Franco Mastantuono, after making his debut last Tuesday. The impression left by the Argentine was very good, even coming close to scoring a goal. Moreover, he showed versatility to play both inside and out wide.
There is speculation about whether he will start against Oviedo, and in which position he could play. Xabi Alonso has been honest in stating that he can play in any position, either as an striker or in midfield. "He used to play as an attacking midfielder and also as a winger," he said about his matches at River.
"He has enough qualities to play in any position; he likes to have the ball and connect with everyone. His starting position is not yet certain, but we consider him more as a forward," he acknowledged. So it seems he will start for now as a winger, but this could change.
Franco Mastantuono's versatility could be key
Xabi Alonso has seen how Tchouaméni's presence on the field is very important for his plans. Even though he is a pivot, he can move him back to play as a center-back and switch the formation to a three-man defense. This is something he can do without having to make any substitutions from the bench.
Something similar could happen with Mastantuono, that ability to be a winger or to play in midfield. He could start in a 4-3-3, but move into the center to switch to a 4-4-2. This way, he can control the match more, again without having to resort to substitutions.
A possibility that Ancelotti already used in his day with Fede Valverde and that produced good results. Now Xabi Alonso would be thinking of repeating the same story but using Mastantuono for this purpose. We will see it throughout the season, as they have more training sessions to put it into practice.
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