During his four seasons at the Bernabeu, Valverde ‘s duties may change, but always include defense. Possessing good physical condition, the Uruguayan player acts like an endless source of energy. He participates a lot in Real’s “pressing” front and always drops back to support the defense.

But this season, coach Carlo Ancelotti began to release Valverde from the defensive front and allow him to play higher. The result that the Italian teacher achieved was many goals from the Uruguayan midfielder. Ancelotti himself shared: “Valverde is a modern midfielder, he can play every position on the field.”

Attack possibilities are explored

Valverde’s destructive power was clearly shown in the early stages of this season. After only 8 matches in all competitions, the 24-year-old midfielder has 4 goals and surpassed his own scoring record in all previous seasons at Real.

In the match against Atletico Madrid in round 6 of La Liga on September 19, Valverde contributed to the goals of “Los Blancos”. In the first goal, he dribbled the ball past the opponent’s midfield and indirectly created an opportunity for Rodrygo Goes to score. Not long after, the Uruguayan player scored decisively with his right foot to increase the gap to 2 goals.

Valverde’s ability to finish and create opportunities for his teammates is truly scary. In the match against Mallorca in round 5 of La Liga, this midfielder even created a scoring opportunity for himself. He alone dribbled the ball from Real ‘s penalty area to the opponent’s penalty area and finished with his left foot to equalize the score at 1-1, creating a premise for Real to come back.

Valverde is having the best scoring performance of his career. AS considers him the “new number 9” of the Spanish Royal team. In the last 3 matches when Karim Benzema was injured, the Uruguayan midfielder always spoke up at the right time when Real was stuck in finding a goal.

Possessing good dribbling ability and speed, Valverde can create breakthroughs at any time. Standing in front of the goal, the 24-year-old midfielder can shoot accurately with both left and right foot. Striker Vinicius Jr. himself acknowledged that his teammate’s finishing ability was even better than his own: “If his finishing index (in the game FIFA 23) is 74, then I probably only get about 60.”

After the 2-0 win over RB Leipzig in the second round of the Champions League – where Valverde opened the scoring – coach Carlo Ancelotti had to exclaim: “Valverde has a really sharp finishing ability, it’s hard to believe that he only 1 goal last season. This season, I will retire if he doesn’t score more than 10 goals.”

In fact, Valverde’s offensive explosion comes from the Italian strategist’s tactical adjustments. According to La Liga statistics this season, the Uruguayan player averages 1 shot every 27 minutes, this number increased to 66 last season. Mr. “Carletto” (Ancelotti’s nickname) seems to be revolutionized Valverde’s role.

Valverde’s comprehensiveness

Playing high up the pitch is a turning point in the 24-year-old midfielder’s career at Real. In previous seasons, Valverde’s main role was always associated with defense whether he was placed in central midfield or right wing striker. Valverde is asked to balance attack and defense.

When playing in the midfield, the Uruguayan player drops back to support the defenders when Real defends and is only responsible for advancing the ball for the attackers. When playing as a right wing striker, he plays lower than Benzema or Vinicius and fits in with the midfield to cover the gaps in the middle. He also often drops back to create space for Dani Carvajal to come forward from the backline.

Possessing an impressive physical foundation, Valverde is always energetic, so he can constantly close to the opponent’s height. The 24-year-old player is very mobile, he has the ability to support the defensive backline, the midfield in controlling the ball and bringing the ball up to the strikers at a good level.

But with such a role, Valverde is not the main character in the “Los Blancos” squad, but is just an addition for other players to shine. This is not difficult to understand because Real has a perfect framework with a midfield consisting of classy Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, and an attack with Benzema and Vinicius firing regularly. What Real needs is just someone who can cover and support so the pillars can continue to play well.

But Valverde seems to want to prove his potential is even greater than that . In the Champions League final against Liverpool at the end of last season, the Uruguayan player played a pass to set up Vinicius to bring the 14th elephant ear trophy to Real.

Valverde is very professional, always playing at a good level even though he has to sacrifice a lot. He always focuses on his performance on the field and increasingly proves that he can make more contributions. As if realizing his student’s ability and desire, Ancelotti began to release Valverde from his defensive duties this season.

Valverde’s explosion came as a necessity. Currently, the 24-year-old midfielder possesses almost perfect offensive and defensive support skills. As his coach said, he is a modern midfielder who can play almost any position on the field. Most importantly, Valverde has never complained and always feels comfortable no matter what position he is placed in.

Owning such a person will greatly help Real on the way to defending the Champions League and La Liga championship this season. Ancelotti can flexibly arrange Valverde to play in many different places depending on the team’s strength situation. Valverde is increasingly asserting his irreplaceable role in Madrid’s capital team.

Source: xevathethao.vn | Copy Link

According to Minh To – Zing.vn | 05:00 September 24, 2022