Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni made their unofficial Real Madrid debuts in the club’s 1-0 Clasico defeat to Barcelona in Las Vegas.
The two new Real Madrid signings were both included in Los Blancos’ starting line-up by Carlo Ancelotti and played 45 minutes each before being substituted off at half time.
Rudiger: An adaptable leader
Surprisingly, the German defender was deployed at left-back, a position in which Ancelotti tried him out in training on Friday.
It is not his main position, even if he played as a left centre-back in a back three at Chelsea.
Yet, he managed to adapt and handled the pressure put on him by a lively Raphinha.
Rudiger is a player with character and one who will stand by his teammates, as he did during his confrontation with Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo after a series of ugly tackles on Vinicius.
Tchouameni: A player who looked for the ball
Playing alongside Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga in midfield, the new Real Madrid signing filled in for Casemiro, featuring as a defensive midfielder.
Tchouameni won three of his four duels and registered two tackles, two clearances, one interception and two recoveries.
In the build-up, he had just three turnovers and a 90.3 percent pass accuracy rate. Eight of these passes were made in the opposition half.
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