The win over Espanyol over the weekend was a prime example of Militao’s excellence at both ends of the field. On the defensive front, he still played impressively, despite his Real Madrid allowing opponents to concede a goal in the eighth minute. Like a wall, Militao repelled all subsequent attempts to put the ball into the box by Espanyol, with 6 successful clearances, 5 of which took place in the 16m50 area. Militao also impresses in situations where the rush to neutralize the threat from a distance; in 90 minutes with Espanyol, he has a total of 6 successful ball victories, with 4 of which happened in the area 25 meters or more from Real’s goal.
Then it was Militao who headed home to make it 2-1 for Real Madrid. It was Militao’s fourth header in La Liga this season. There is no other player in the Spanish championship with more impressive aerial ability than him. Don’t forget that in the first leg against Liverpool, Militao also had a smart escape in the penalty area and headed near the wall as soon as the second half started. That goal helped Real Madrid take the lead for the first time, from which the spirit was ignited to score two more goals from Karim Benzema.
Not only good defense, good attack (coach Carlo Ancelotti after the win over Espanyol even said that he believes Militao can play as a striker), Militao is also an important ball development for Real Madrid. The match against Espanyol, for example, he had up to 4 accurate ball development passes, the most impressive of which was probably the pass from near the flagpole in this corner of the Real field to near the flagpole in the other corner of the field. Espanyol for Vinicius. It was also one of eight times Militao managed to get the ball into the bottom third of the pitch, an impressive number for a player in the central midfield position.
In fact, step by step, step by step, Militao is presenting himself as the new leader in Real Madrid’s defence. The appearance of David Alaba or Antonio Rudiger not only did not make the Brazilian star worry, but also became a motivation for him to improve himself, both in terms of skills and spirit. This season, if there is no injury or suspension, Militao automatically has a place in the starting lineup, and he always fulfills his duties. With Militao only 25 years old this year, Real Madrid can be assured of a leadership position in the defense for at least another decade.
The fact that Militao asserts himself both professionally and as a leader shows the great vision of the leaders at Real Madrid. They did not hesitate to let the world champion central defender duo and have been together for many years, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, because they realized Militao’s great potential and wanted him to have more space to play. develop. And now it can be affirmed that the vision of the elite in Los Blancos is extremely accurate. With Militao, they are possessing both a solid shield, and a sharp spear. That’s it, there’s no conflict regarding Militao here.
Militao is wary of Salah and Firmino
Although Real Madrid won 5-2 right at Liverpool’s field in the first leg, Militao still showed great caution. “Some people believe this matchup is over, but I still believe in a big battle between the two most traditional teams in history,” said Militao, “we have the advantage, but every 90 It will take a few minutes to decide what happened.” The Brazilian midfielder also affirmed that Salah and Firmino are the most dangerous players on the opponent’s side. “Salah is in good form, and Firmino is starting to score again,” he said.
