The speculations around the eleven he will bet on From the source In Spain’s debut in the Euro Cup, next Saturday against Croatia, they are now focusing on Pedri, knowing if Dani Olmo will arrive fit… and in a somewhat unexpected name in the initial approaches: Aymeric Laporte (30 years old). The center-back has been an indisputable player for the coach until now (starter in the last eight games in which he has been available until trying the substitute against Northern Ireland), but Doubts about his figure have increased in the week before the debut.
Firstly, Laporte’s role has always generated certain suspicion among public opinion since he decided to head to the Saudi league, a minor competition in which the matches lack the competitive rhythm of the first European level. In his first season in Al-Nassrat least in the eyes of the Riojan coach, it has not affected him: he completed the 90 minutes in all the decisive duels of the qualifying phase for the Euro and was again in the lineup in the March friendlies against Colombia and Brazil. He, left-handed, combined well with Le Normand, right-handed, and silenced the doubts from the start.
The situation has taken a small turn. The naturalized Spanish Frenchman, who played more than 40 minutes in Son Moix, had not competed since May 23. That day he was sent off against Al-Riyadh for a childish action (he punched an opponent hard in the elbow when his team was losing) and that red card condemned him to miss the last two games of the season: the league finale against Al-Ittihad – there was nothing at stake – and, above all, the final of the Saudi Cup against Al-Hilal that was played last Friday the 31st (24 hours before the Champions League final at Wembley).
Given the nature of the match (Al-Nassr finished 14 points behind Al-Hilal in the league and it was their last chance to end the campaign with a title), Laporte stayed in Arabia with the permission of the National Teamgranted before his sanction, and joined the concentration in Las Rozas this Thursday, five days later than the bulk of his teammates, who arrived in the Ciudad del Fútbol on Saturday the 1st. Laporte neither dressed short in the Cup nor celebrated it, because his team lost on penalties. Mikel Merino, who got married on Saturday, and Nico Williams, assistant to his brother Iñaki’s wedding that same day, were the only ones who arrived on Sunday. Real Madrid fans Carvajal, Nacho and Joselu did it this Friday.
In the case of the latter, the coaching staff granted them a few days of rest after the final in London and the celebrations on Sunday. The difference with them is that all three come with the competitive light activated, after being starters (Nacho and Carvajal) or coming off the bench (Joselu) against Borussia, and Laporte still has to flip the switch.
After just one training session with his teammates, The former Athletic player was filmed in Palma and seemed slow and lacked speed with the ball in some actions. De la Fuente, asked about the delay in his landing, poured water on the fire before facing Andorra on Wednesday: “It was a plan that we had planned for a long time, no more no less. His team was playing on the 31st and he had to be with them until that day. He has worked until the last moment, regardless of the fact that he was not competing. He will enjoy the same days as the Real Madrid players. We had it perfectly established.” Yesterday, after beating Ireland, he assured that He sees him “in the same state of form as Nacho or Vivian” and stated that he is “very delighted” with the four centre-backs. those he has summoned.
Nacho emerges as a candidate
Given this situation, Nacho’s name jumps onto the scene. He only trained on Friday, he already jumped into the eleven in Son Moix and passed the test with flying colors: despite the passivity shared with Nico Williams that he showed in the 0-1 draw, He recovered and put on a good performance. He connected with Pedri in the tie, won all of his duels (two), completed nine of ten long passes, was not dribbled and rounded out his statistics with an interception and a steal. He was also skilled at cutting off counterattacks, and more precise than Le Normand when starting the game.
The Madrid captain arrives with the arrow up, with his sixth European Cup in his pocket and a fundamental role in the final stretch for Ancelotti, and opposes moving Laporte from the eleven. There are six training sessions ahead until they face Modric’s Croatia in Berlin. The first, after traveling this afternoon (5:00 p.m.) from Palma to the heart of the Black Forest to establish his base there, will be this Monday.
