The planning has already begun for Real Madrid’s 2011/21 campaign with last week’s signing of Borussia Dortmund playmaker Nuri Sahin a clear statement of intent. Jose Mourinho’s first season ended with a Copa del Rey as the club’s only silverware and Sahin will be expected to add further class and guile as Madrid look to knock Barcelona off their perch next term.
So how easy a task is it to fit into Mourinho’s Madrid? Granted, Dortmund play a similar 4-2-3-1 system to Madrid and Sahin’s integration to the starting XI should, therefore, seem a fairly natural one, but, with regards to this season, how have Jose’s main summer signings fared in their debut campaigns? Here, we shine the spotlight on those four acquisitions:
Ricardo Carvalho Average Rating 6.79
Only Iker Casillas has played more La Liga games for Madrid this term, with Carvalho making 30 appearances thus far. He’s grabbed 3 Goals and has been consistent in his displays but, over the course of the season, he’s the lowest ranked of the back-four and keeper, perhaps a sign his game is still adjusting to a new style of plays since arriving from Chelsea. Carvalho also has the poorest disciplinary record for the club, with 2 Red cards and 9 Yellows.
Usually partnered by Pepe in the heart of defence, Carvalho’s stats are steady but are beaten by his compatriot time and again. Per game, Pepe has more Tackles (2.7 to 2.1), more Interceptions (2.6 to 2.4) and more Clearances (5.3 to 4.6) than Carvalho. He wins 86% of Aerial Battles, with Carvalho a fairly average 56%.
Sami Khedira Average Rating 6.79
Similar to Carvalho, Khedira has been overshadowed by his on-field partner, with Xabi Alonso the most impressive of Madrid’s defensive midfield pairing. Alonso makes more Key Passes (1.66 to 0.88) and Successful Long Balls (6 to 2) per game, which accounts for his 6 Assists, while Khedira has only 1. Khedira edges it in Passing Accuracy (86% to 85%) but it’s clear there’s a wider range to Alonso’s distribution; with Sahin’s passing of similar quality to that of Alonso, Khedira’s game time could well be limited next season.
Defensively, Alonso leads the way in Tackles (3.2 to 1.9) and Interceptions (2.8 to 2.1), clearly more natural to the role required of him by Mourinho. A telling comparison is Lassana Diarra’s 3.5 Tackles per game when the Frenchman plays alongside Alonso, offering a far more dynamic presence than Khedira in such a crucial area of the field.
Angel Di Maria Average Rating 7.32
One of the side’s star performers this campaign, Di Maria has fitted in seamlessly as an inside-out winger, playing wide right in the 4-2-3-1. He’s grabbed 6 Goals from an average of 1.7 Shots per game and his 11 Assists is the fifth highest in La Liga.
Di Maria’s 2.06 Key Passes per game is second-best Madrid player to Mesut Özil, making him more of a creative threat than Cristiano Ronaldo on the left. Di Maria’s 2 Successful Dribbles isn’t far off Ronaldo’s 2.3, either, as he troubles back-fours time and again with his trickery. His 1.3 Tackles and 1 Interception per game stands testament to his work ethic, too; Ronaldo averages 0.5 and 0.7 respectively. Has picked up 4 Man of the Match awards, second only to Ronaldo for Madrid, and picked up 3 Goals and 3 Assists in the club’s Champions League run.
Mesut Özil Average Rating 7.36
Playing in the hole behind Higuain or Benzema, Özil has excelled in his debut season for Madrid and has taken on the mantle of chief creator seamlessly. He has an incredible 16 Assists, bettered only by Lionel Messi’s 18, and makes 3.35 Key Passes per game, with Di Maria’s 2.06 a distant second for Madrid. Considering Xavi is top for Barcelona with 2.42, it’s an indication of how much Özil gives to this side.
His lowly 0.85 Shots per game is indicative of Özil’s tendency to pass than shoot on many occasions, though he still had managed to find the net on 6 occasions. A 86% Pass Accuracy and 1.3 Successful Dribbles per games has helped him pick up Man of the Match on two occasions. Özil grabbed a fantastic 7 Assists in the Champions League, also scoring once.
