Real Madrid entered the Copa Del Rey quarter-final against Leganes with hopes of regaining their lost form, following a narrow defeat at the hands of Espanyol a few days ago in La Liga.
The Copa Del Rey has been a competition where Los Blancos have not had luck on their side and, to make matters worse, the Los Blancos’ backline was fairly depleted for this particular game.
But the midfield was in good form and Carlo Ancelotti had many options available. One such option, was Aurelien Tchouameni.
The Frenchman had started matches as a center-back, where he did not have a notable performance and blew hot and cold. Returning to the midfield for this match, Tchouameni had a chance to prove why he should deservingly be Madrid’s first-choice defensive midfielder.
And that is exactly what the 25-year-old did. He managed to keep the ball out of danger when the team was in a precarious position and stayed at the edge of the box whenever Leganes tried to create a chance.
Tchouameni remained calm and composed when being pressed by the Leganes players, and did not put a foot wrong. He completed 71/73 passes throughout the match, with an outstanding 97% accuracy.
The Frenchman was also effective at progressing the ball into attacking areas, combining well with Brahim Díaz and Luka Modric in midfield. Moreover, standing at a towering height of 6’1, the French international was brilliant in the air as well, winning 3/4 aerial duels.
According to Sofascore statistics, Tchouameni won 8/9 ground duels, committed a couple of tackles, and made 3 useful interceptions. A particular stat that just goes on to show how brilliant he was on the night was the fact that no Leganes player managed to dribble past him.
The games against Celta Vigo and Leganés tonight are clear evidence that playing as a center-back is restricting Tchouaméni from showcasing his true potential.
Carlo Ancelotti in the post-match presser mentioned that he does have doubts about where Tchouameni will play in the Madrid derby over the weekend and also joked that the Frenchman should not get too used to playing in the midfield.
However, the Italian must have seen how well Tchouameni operates in midfield and hopefully continues to start him – mostly – in the position where he thrives.
“In the current situation, neither Ancelotti nor Tchouaméni can be blamed. The lack of signings in the winter market has forced the veteran manager to deploy the French midfielder out of position. With crucial fixtures ahead, Tchouaméni must perform at his best, regardless of where Real Madrid need him.
