Perhaps it may sound exaggerated to affirm that this Ray is Catena and ten others, but that the defender is a basic pillar in the team is indisputable. Not only for the gallons that it transmits within the field, also the numbers support it. The center-back is the player who adds the most minutes to the squad (2,397, spread over 28 games), ahead of Trejo (2,216, at 27) and Advíncula (2,025, at 22). Of course, the Argentine playmaker has been the starter on more occasions (27), for Madrid's 26.
Catena combines two important aspects: it provides security in defense and smell in attack. Lightning has conceded 30 goals with the defender on the field (an average of 1.07 per game) and he has left the goal to zero in eight days (Extremadura, Albacete, Girona, Lugo, Mirandés, Tenerife and the two confrontations with Huesca). Their performance figures are not bad either, given that He has made three goals (Tenerife, Ponferradina and Girona) and his specialty is the aerial game. An important trick given its 1.94 height.
This continuity throughout the season has its merit. Injuries, international stoppages, transfer markets, Cup rounds … have made Paco Jémez has had to use 30 different footballers. A Catena, Trejo, Advíncula, Dimitrievski, Mario, Saveljich, Pozo, Ulloa, Tito, Álvaro, Milic, Andrés, Comesaña, Baby, Alberto, De Frutos, Montiel, Saúl, Yacine, Isi, Martín, Morro, Juan Villar and Marc , it would be necessary to add some troops that are no longer in the team, such as Akieme, Embarba, Piovaccari and Abdoulaye.