Mbappé and Carvajal's revalidation

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Mbappé, chased by Carvajal in the first leg at PSG and Madrid in Paris. DeFodi Images (DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

No one found out before or better about the suffering that awaited Madrid in Paris in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 than Dani Carvajal.

Five minutes later, he had already finished on the canvas due to a cut by Kylian Mbappé.

Punished over and over again by the centrifugal power of the French striker, his personal suffering reflected the difficulties of his entire team in the Parc des Princes and the complicated times that the recently turned 30-year-old right-back is going through.

This Saturday, his unquestionable penalty on David Silva forced the Whites, right from the start, to come back against Real Sociedad.

Two days before the European return leg at the Bernabéu, the climax of the Madrid season so far, the memory of the torture Carvajal suffered in the French capital was mixed with the news about the physical condition of Mbappé, a victim in training this Monday from a stomp on the left foot by Gueye, although the PSG medical report clarified that the clinical examination was "reassuring".

Waiting for his appearance to be confirmed in the Castellana duel (this Tuesday they will do more tests), the concern on the white shore is maximum after the devastation caused three weeks ago by the right wing of the merengue defender.

That night in Paris, Madrid's great wish put the white defender in a cave from which he did not come out in the 72 minutes he remained on the field.

Since the attacker broke him in his first attempt until he gave him a penalty at the hour of play in the umpteenth attack, there was no peace for Carvajal, carded and finally replaced by Carlo Ancelotti in a very unusual maneuver with one of his untouchables in the template.

The only consolation for him was that, when Mbappé holed in stoppage time, he was no longer there.

Penalized by injuries, especially for a year, his last performances, and especially the time in Paris, have left him wounded.

Three days before traveling to France, Carvajal already offered an unusual action against Villarreal by suddenly hitting Lo Celso in the face with a ball from close range, who had just fallen to the ground.

Offensive Threat Loss

So after so many battles, renewed this summer until 2025 and back to the national team in the last call in November, the youth squad faces a new revalidation in his career.

After his ordeal in the first leg, the second leg against PSG will have a focus on his ability to stop the Parisian attack, which is not exactly lacking in threats beyond Mbappé (Neymar, back from injury, points out to holder).

He will not count this time with the help of the sanctioned Casemiro, piecework in Paris, but probably with the efforts of Valverde, who should operate on his side.

After playing just four games in the second half of last season, and falling twice this season due to muscle injuries plus covid infection, Carvajal himself announced three months ago that he was trying new training, rest and eating routines. , who passed for not tasting gluten, red meat, cow's milk and nightshades, plants to which potatoes and tomatoes belong.

As soon as he has been healthy, his presence in the eleven has been indisputable for Carletto, with whom he started in the first team in 2013;

however, his football still has a long way to go.

Beyond his penalties against Mbappé and the dangers that haunt him again this Wednesday, one of the sections in which he has more ground to recover is in attack.

This Saturday, against the San Sebastian team, he scored his first league assist on the downhill slope, the second of the year, when his minimum was four last year, almost without playing since January.

It's not just your problem, though.

Since between him and Marcelo they added 25 in the season of the League and Champions League double (16-17), the figures of the pure sides in this section have been in clear regression.

This campaign, they have only added Carvajal and Mendy (both with two).

In the new exam against PSG, yes, it will be enough for him to tie Kylian and company.

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