Zidane takes years off

Youth against party overload. Zidane lined up his youngest starting team in the league against Granada this season: (the average age of the eleven was even lower in the Cup against Alcoyano). The Real Madrid coach started up to six U-23 players in the penultimate match in the fight for the title: Miguel Gutiérrez (19 years old), Rodrygo (20), Vinicius (20), Marvin (20), Fede Valverde (22) and Militao (23 years after January). The list of holders was completed by three thirty-somethings (Modric -35-, Benzema -33- and Nacho -31-) and Casemiro and Courtois (29 years each). A team with an average age of 26 years and 18 days. Between Miguel Gutiérrez and Modric there are almost 16 years of difference. The average age of the eleven white starter had only lowered this League to 27 years in another game: against Getafe on matchday 33.

Zidane's casualties and decisions have rejuvenated a team punished by injuries and a strenuous load of matches, although the four players who have been in the squad for the most minutes played in Granada: Courtois, Casemiro, Benzema and Modric. The Croatian, the oldest of the squad (and who with his goal became the third oldest player to score in a League match with Madrid, after Amancio and Santillana), has accumulated 54 games in his legs this season, between those who have played with the white club and those of his selection.

But at the same time gave his first title to Miguel Gutiérrez, the second to Marvin (he was already in the game against Getafe at Di Stéfano), completed the team with Nacho and Militao (the Brazilian practically unpublished until a month and a half ago) and opted for Vinicius and Rodrygo as Benzema's squires.

The team is far from the youngest in Madrid's history, which fielded an 18-year-old team in the 1984 footballers' strike. Zidane, in fact, lined up a younger eleven last season against Osasuna on matchday six at the Bernabéu: 25 years and 261 days on average.. Conversely, This season he has lined up two eleven of more than 30 years on average: in the sixth match against Cádiz (30 years and 13 days) and in the 16th in Elche. At 30 years and 175 days on average, Martínez Valero's is Madrid's oldest line-up in La Liga history.. Until this season, the white team had only lined up a starting eleven with 30 years on average in four league games: all of them in the 1963-64 season, with the legendary Miguel Muñoz on the bench.