Praise Alarm

When David Alaba fell to the ground in minute 62 with the match in Tiraspol ready for papers, Carlo Ancelotti was resolved restless in the technical area and he waited patiently for the Austrian (who had scored 0-1) to reach the bench on his own foot to know his feelings. A logical concern seeing that it could be a knee problem, as it has been, and also that Madrid has a moment of those that can be focal points to win the League. On the next nine days have three rugged encounters and the question of whether he will have to rebuild a defense that was finally working smoothly.

Much will have to say the test that will be performed today or tomorrow, depending on whether there is inflammation, to Alaba. The first hot diagnosis at Sheriff Stadium was that he suffers a minor sprain. Ancelotti wanted to downplay it immediately. “The player says that it does not hurt much, we hope it will be on Sunday”, was the first part offered by the Italian. The calendar is merciless. On Sunday Sevilla, three days later Athletic and 72 hours later, Real Sociedad. Two games against Madrid’s immediate pursuers in the league table and the rest, with the advantage despite being at the Bernabéu, interspersed and against well-positioned lions.

The thing with Alaba is more about positive internal inertia than anything else. The Carvajal-Militao-Alaba-Mendy line was beginning to be greased although Carletto will very quietly with carve and the possible absence of Alaba would upset that plan.

A binomial that begins to carbure

The need to make Alaba, a newcomer, and Militao, recently promoted to starter, conjugate cost Ancelotti but it is beginning to pay off. They have been sharing the center of defense in seven of the last eight games (from the puncture in Cornellà), among them games of great risk for the team such as the Classical or the visit to Shakhtar that could have put the classification in danger. The solution to the problem, with everything and with that, is to the liking of Ancelotti. It is about resorting to the usual: Nacho. The Complutense center-back is life insurance and his coach thanked him again in Tiraspol when he left to replace the injured Alaba. “Nacho’s professionalism is top, I know I can count on him even for five minutes”, asserted the transalpine. Madrid is alert for Alaba’s medical situation, but it feels that with Nacho there is a bullet in the chamber.