Madrid boasts a wall

Eder Militao has established himself in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea. The Brazilian center-back entered the eleven with two other defenders, Varane and Nacho, and was insurmountable during the 90 minutes. So much so that Real Madrid wanted to praise his performance a few minutes after the conclusion of the match. The club tweeted an image of the carioca along with prohibition emoticons, in sign of all the times that the '3' repelled the offensive attempts from Tuchel's team.

His stats do not fully reflect his positioning and influence on the draw, but they are also noteworthy: In 90 minutes, he completed four punts, blocked a shot, intercepted the ball three times, had six successful tackles out of just seven attempts, won his Most duels, he made 62 of 68 passes, five of them long … He recovered four more balls, completed the two dribbles he tried and, to top it off, he assisted Karim Benzema in the only goal of Real Madrid.

According to data from Opta, No Real Madrid player has successfully completed so many innings since Marcelo did it in October 2020 against Huesca. From the center of the rear, Militao contributed hierarchy and ordered his teammates when the occasion required. Despite not having had too many opportunities when Varane and Sergio Ramos were in full physical condition, the situation has given him titles that have hitherto unexpected.

Against Liverpool he was already a starter and showed that Madrid was right in the investment. During the 90 minutes, he was Trending Topic in Spain, with dozens and dozens of comments from fans praising his performance. A fantastic game that led his own club to applaud him emphatically as soon as the referee signaled the final whistle. Militao, before his great night in white.

Graphic via Sofascore.