David Alaba arrived at Real Madrid with two and a half weeks to go to prepare for his debut in the white jersey. But the covid crossed his path and kept him inactive for a week before resuming work under the orders of Ancelotti and Pintus, who does not neglect the physical preparation of his team or on match days (in Klagenfurt, after the final whistle , stayed on the grass working with Militao and Vinicius). With just a week of sessions after recovering, Ancelotti gave him the title against Milan.
The dress rehearsal before the league premiere on Saturday (22:00, Movistar LaLiga) against Alavés in Mendizorroza was 'his' match. In his country, before a dedicated public and with his family in the stands, also receiving the affection of his compatriots. The 29-year-old Austrian center-back made, within what is a preseason commitment, an impeccable match. Ancelotti aligned him to the left of Nacho in the axis of the rear and he assigned the defensive functions of Ramos in anticipation, while the youth squad had more positional discipline. He soon awoke the ovation (for his action in the game, which in the run-up he already took several just for making an appearance at the Wörthersee Stadion) when in minute 2 he thwarted an action by Leao, who was about to beat point-blank to Courtois. In the construction of the game, on the other hand, the ball came out of Nacho's boots to look for Modric.
“It's not being difficult to fit in. It really is a lot of fun working with teammates every day and trying to be successful. I have trained in this position for the past days and weeks. But I think the manager also knows that I can play in various positions. I played as a left-back under him at Bayern, “said Alaba in statements to the Austrian public television ORF after the friendly.
A player who arrives with 298 games of experience in the Bundesliga and 91 in the Champions League does not need to claim, but if Alaba needed to show his virtues, he had occasions to do so and he did. Without the goalscoring vocation of Ramos, from whom he has inherited the number 4 After 16 seasons of monopoly of the former white captain, he also put virtues in attack on the showcase. He had a clear chance in a left-footed shot that Maignan repelled and even, in the absence of Kroos, he put a side foul. Fans regretted that Gareth Bale will not take the penalty that he missed (and caused earlier). In summary, positive feelings from the Austrian, the only signing of the white team so far, in the only test before the start of the competition.
Ancelotti experiments in defense
One of the lines that most unknowns harbors in Ancelotti's lineup for the league debut is defense. Carvajal and Mendy do not finish joining the group dynamics and Odriozola will arrive just after the covid. In Klagenfurt, the Italian coach shot almost with what little he had: Lucas Vázquez, Nacho, Alaba and Marcelo. On the bench, of the first team, he only had Militao, still in his first week of preseason and who came out at halftime replacing the Austrian.
David Alaba Advanced Statistics.
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In the intermission he also replaced Marcelo to give minutes to Miguel Gutiérrez and in the 69th minute Marvin (his conversion to the side is largely the work and grace of Raúl) came in to give Lucas Vázquez rest. But in the last minutes Carletto He lent himself to experiments. He removed Isco to enter Chust. A movement that seemed aimed at a defense of five, but the Madrid coach preferred to keep his drawing, move Nacho to the left side (the position in which Mourinho made him debut with the first team) and test the potential of Miguel Gutiérrez as an interior. The full-back scored in those few minutes a couple of brilliant actions that open the door to innovative solutions with the youth squad.