The ‘Lucas effect’ fades on Madrid’s right-hand side

Lucas Vazquez had only added 66 minutes of play in the entire season until Nacho was injured during the Classic of the Camp Nou last October 24. With Carvajal Y Odrizola out of the call for physical ailments, Zinedine Zidane had to urgently resort to Lucas Vazquez to play the second half against him Barcelona.

His good performance on the right wing, where he closed with success in defense and joined with danger in attack, earned him the confidence of his coach to continue acting as a right-handed winger. Until then, the Galician had only started against him Cadiz in defeat in the Di Stefano.

From the El Clásico he chained one lineup after another, being the game in the decisive games against him. Gladbach (2-2) and the Inter (3-2) in Champions and against Huesca in The league. In all three games he scored at an acceptable level despite his very short experience in the position of winger and Zidane he repeated the formula in Mestalla. In total, Lucas has accumulated 435 minutes distributed in 7 games.

The Madrid debacle in Valencia had many parents, especially the French coach, because from the first to the last player he was far from his best level. Also Lucas, whose clumsiness committing a child penalty and then entering the area in Soler's launch that stopped Courtois began to tip the balance in favor of Valencia in a dire match of the Madrid.

If the forecasts are fulfilled, it is very possible that in the face of the clash against the Villarreal on the return of the break (November 21) Zidane have recovered Nacho Y Carvajal. The return to the team of two specialists in the position again compromises the status of a Luke that it would be without prominence again.

In attack he is behind Hazard, Asensio, Rodrygo Y Vinicius in the preferences of Zizou and in defense he will have ahead Carvajal, Nacho and even Odriozola to achieve a position as incumbent. Discreet, hard-working and always at the service of the team from whatever role they assign him, Lucas will have to reinvent himself again to find a place in the plans of a Zidane who has always taken him into account.