Zidane's surprises in the lineups have been a constant this season. In the first big game, against PSG in the Parc des Princes, he surprised with a hyper-offensive lineup with a trident Hazard, Benzema and Bale , backed by the Kroos trivote, Casemiro and… James! The experiment did not go well. Madrid took three but Zidane repeated in the next match at Pizjuán, and won. The technician's pulse does not tremble .
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In the first Clásico of the season, for example, he repeated with Bale on top with Benzema and put Valverde on the right. In the second, he surprised by lining up Vinicius and Valverde again on the right ... But the decision that took the cake is much more recent and it was, precisely, in the first leg of the round of 16 against Guardiola's City. Zidane left Kroos sitting in a strange rotation that very few understood, not even Guardiola himself , who was seen chatting animatedly with the German midfielder in the bowels of the Bernabéu after the game. After that fact,Kroos has never missed a match.
For Friday there is no rotation possible. It could be the last game of the season, the players come from a week of vacation and Zidane will go out with his gala team. The one who will not be able to be by sanction is Ramos ( Militao , the most expensive defender in the history of Madrid, who cost 50 million, will finally have his great opportunity ). And Mendy confirms her sorpasso to Marcelo . For the rest, the three of the trivot that won the three consecutive Champions, Casemiro, Kroos and Modric , and Hazard (already recovered from the ankle) and Benzema (21 goals this season) above are fixed in the midfield . Therefore, there are three men for the vacated position . They are Valverde, Isco and Asensio . And that is the great unknown to clear for Etihad.
One choice or another would condition the system. With Asensio you would see a more offensive Madrid , with an attacking trident and, therefore, also more exposed in the back. But if it is about winning the game (Madrid is obliged), of course the Mallorcan is the most indicated of the three. Since he returned to play after the knee operation, he has scored three goals in 334 minutes spread over nine games. The first of them, in the first ball he played after the misfortune that had him all season in the dry dock. Has an elf ...
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Marco Asensio
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However, the previous decisions made by Zidane seem to give Valverde or Isco himself more options . The Uruguayan has been the great revelation of Madrid of the season. A Zidane likes to balance the team with him right, as interior, thus enabling increases Carvajal . It happened in both games against Barcelona and even in the first leg of the round of 16 against City (defeat 1-2) where the Uruguayan took Kroos's position.
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Federico Valverde
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For his part, Isco (who also played in the first leg of the round of 16) is always the center of all debates but ends up playing all the games in which titles are decided . It happened like this in the last three Championships conquered by Zidane. He was a starter in all. The only problem is that the man from Malaga has disappeared from the team's last three training sessions. From the club they assure that he will be available and that he has only had to slow down as a precaution, but he seems to be physically fairer than Valverde. The one from Arroyo de la Miel contributes more play in attack: if Valverde gives a pass every 1.6 minutes, Isco does it every 1.3 . If the Uruguayan shoots on goal every 193 minutes, the Malaga player every 85 (he finishes more than double). The first has scored two goals and the second three ... But defensively there is no color. Valverde has recovered 170 balls this season for Isco's 85.
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Isco
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"This is where you see the men, the boys, put them aside . " The phrase sounded lapidary in Ramos's mouth . It was in the preview of the first leg match against City. Real Madrid came in a very negative spiral and only the appearances of Vinicius and Rodrygo seemed to give some air to attack the team. Ramos, captainísimo, was clear that it was the group that had won the three Champions League in a row, still intact, that had to stand up . Something similar will happen on Friday, but it is also true that beyond the starting eleven Zidane has enough troops to make the team react . Vinicius, Rodrygo, Asensio if he is not a starter, Bale himself. They are reason enough to believe in the comeback.