MADRID, 1 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid will play this Saturday against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in the Champions League final, the most important match of the year in which they will not be able to count on French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is injured, so his French compatriot, Eduardo Camavinga He aims to be the player who replaces him in the pivot position.
The young French midfielder, at 21 years old, faces his second Champions League final, although this time his role in its development aims to be much more of a protagonist. Since he arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, Camavinga has only grown as a player. The Frenchman has gone from being disruptive in his first season and versatile in his second to having a much more important role in his favorite position, midfielder, in the current season.
However, in matches against more dangerous rivals, Carlo Ancelotti had always opted for his compatriot Tchouaméni as a starter to accompany the untouchable Kroos, Valverde and Bellingham. But Tchouaméni’s injury has completely changed the Italian coach’s plans for the Wembley match, placing Camavinga as the main, and almost only, candidate for the ‘5’ position.
The 21-year-old former Rennes player has shown throughout these three seasons at Real Madrid that he has the quality, commitment and mentality to succeed in the most demanding club in the world. His great game against Manchester City at the Etihad, in which he had to play all 120 minutes due to Tchouaméni’s suspension, is proof that he is ready. However, a final of the top continental competition is a big deal.
His talent and quality are beyond doubt, but what does generate them are the disconnections he sometimes has within the games. His daring, self-confidence and confidence in his qualities, backed by his numbers – 91.1% pass accuracy – sometimes lead him to make decisions on the pitch that become a problem for the team.
Therefore, against a team like Dortmund, capable of generating many problems in getting the ball out of the opponent, Camavinga will have to be more precise than usual, not giving players like Sancho, Brandt or Ademyemi the opportunity to take advantage of a mistake. Thus, he must correct that more than one loss with the controlled ball that averages every 90 minutes this season in the Champions League.
What is beyond doubt is his physical and defensive display. In these tasks, few players are capable of reaching the intensity of Eduardo Camavinga. The Frenchman is a headache for the rival midfield when he tries to advance with the ball under control. In fact, one of the most relevant characteristics in Camavinga’s game is his ability in tackling. In fact, with 14, he is the third player in this Champions League with the best numbers in this statistic.
Furthermore, one of the facets that makes the international unique is that to his defensive work and distribution, he adds imbalance and verticality through driving and dribbling. In this Champions League, the Frenchman averages an average of 14 progressions with a ball of more than 10 meters, being one of the best midfielders in the competition in this regard. Furthermore, with 19 dribbles he is the fifth Real Madrid player – after Vinícius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Brahim – who has excelled the most in this Champions League.
Thus, at 21 years old, Camavinga is facing a game that could mark his career at Real Madrid, showing that he is more than prepared to assume starting stripes for the coming years. Even more so taking into account the retirement of Toni Kroos, which will greatly open up the possibilities of Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield next year. Therefore, there is nothing better than winning a final in the Champions League in one of the most important stadiums in the world of football, Wembley.