It would not be wrong to say that Real Madrid have blown hot and cold defensively this season. Sometimes they look solid and sometimes they have been utterly shambolic with no structure to the backline whatsoever.
Although injuries have made the entire defensive line highly uncertain, one of the positions that still does not have a sure shot starter even at such a crucial juncture of the season is the left-back.
Before the mega clash against Manchester City, there have been no hints from Carlo Ancelotti whatsoever as to who will take the position on the left flank, but there will be three main options for him, which are discussed below:
1: Ferland Mendy
The Frenchman was signed while Zinedine Zidane was at the helm in 2019. Since then, it has become evident that Mendy thrives defensively and does not offer much attacking-wise.
He played a vital role in both the Champions League wins in 2021/22 and 2023/24. Following that, Mendy has just been a shadow himself.
He is not even shining in the defensive aspects which made him a special player in recent seasons, and has shown particular weaknesses with reckless challenges, leaving spaces at the back, and being completely outplayed by opposition players on his wing.
This season has been a forgettable one for the 29-year-old, not having recorded a single goal or assist in 23 matches.
Despite these statistics and losing out his place to Fran García, Mendy has been Carlo Ancelotti’s first choice in the last two Champions League fixtures and that move has paid off since Real Madrid conceded just once in these two matches.
Based on his big-game experience, it can be expected that Ancelotti will opt for him. In that case, the Frenchman would be up against Phil Foden on the right flank, which may include Bernardo Silva on that side of midfield.
2: Fran Garcia
He was signed by Real Madrid B and was promoted to the main team in 2018 but was not involved in matches, which resulted in the Spaniard playing two seasons at Rayo Vallecano – once on a loan and another as a permanent signing.
He returned to Real Madrid in 2023, but still was not a definite starter and played largely under the shadow of Ferland Mendy and sometimes even Nacho last season.
This season has been a turning point for the left-back, already appearing in 27 matches and recording 3 assists.
With Mendy not performing well since August, Ancelotti chose the 25-year-old, and even though it was a slow start, he slowly grew and now has made the position his own – at least in La Liga. His defensive attributes have improved by leaps and bounds, which made Ancelotti’s decision even easier to make.
In the match against Atletico Madrid, for instance, Fran put on a top display and it is not easy to do so in one of the biggest and toughest derbies in Europe.
His ability to make well-timed overlapping runs and improved defensive abilities this season, make him the ideal candidate to start in tonight’s mega clash, and what makes it even better – is that the Spaniard is high on confidence.
Fran would be eager to make a name for himself in Europe’s elite club competition where he has made just a single start and 4 cameos from the bench.
Facing Phil Foden in the hostile atmosphere of the Etihad Stadium will be a challenge in itself, but Fran García has shown that he is capable of handling the pressure.
3: Eduardo Camavinga
He made his first appearance in over three weeks in the Madrid derby and had a 10-minute cameo.
The French midfielder is familiar with this particular position and knows how to operate, as he has played as left back multiple times this season. However, the only time he has started there was against Sevilla.
Furthermore, with Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouaméni already in defense, Carlo Ancelotti may not want to risk having another midfielder in the backline, which would leave the Italian thin on options in midfield.
On the contrary, starting Eduardo Camavinga as left back means Ancelotti will have the option to start Luka Modric in the middle – who has been in good nick lately and knows how to perform on these nights.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, regardless of how Ferland Mendy has played this season, the Frenchman should start in tonight’s match. He played a major role in Real Madrid’s penalty shootout victory at the Etihad last season. The 29-year-old knows how to step up in such crucial matches and will be eager to put his poor run of form behind him.
