Ceballos collides with the dystopia in Real Madrid
The best news for Real Madrid in 2023 is Dani Ceballos. The Spanish midfielder took advantage of absences to gain momentum, and after leading the way back in the lead against Villarreal in the Cup on January 19, he never slumped back and became a fixture in Ancelotti’s plans after that game.
The league matches of Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Valencia and Mallorca witnessed how Ceballos was instrumental in the formation of Real Madrid from the start. Against Atletico Madrid in the King’s Cup, he came on the verge of the end of the first half and was instrumental in making the comeback and qualifying for the semi-finals.
When opportunities arose, Ceballos performed well and deserved more participation in the matches. But in the Club World Cup, he hit a grim reality. The reality of the existence of the trio: Tchouameni, Kroos and Modric.
The French midfielder’s injury ahead of the Spanish Super Cup was key to Ceballos’ growth, and after playing the last 15 and 25 minutes respectively against Valencia and Barcelona in Saudi Arabia, he started to be a strong presence in the following matches.
But in Rabat, with all the midfielders recovering from their injuries, Ancelotti chose to rely on the trio of Tchouameni, Modric and Kroos against Al-Ahly and Al-Hilal and sacrificed Ceballos.
Although this did not make him completely disappear in the Club World Cup. In the semi-final match against Al-Ahly, he gave an amazing assist with the heel that found Rodrigo in front of the goal and worked to kill the match (it was 1-2 with the pressure of the Egyptians).
“You have to learn from Luca and Tony, I have to learn from them. Little by little, adapting to my role. The important thing is to have fun and play with them and I hope to have a long career like theirs”, said Ceballos after making his third consecutive start against Valencia. In the 85th minute, Santiago Bernabéu shouted to him: “Ceballos, stay.”
His performance impressed not only the fans, but also the Real Madrid management. Thus, as reported by AS, there is interest in extending the contract, which expires on June 30. Both parties want to understand each other, which is the best principle for any agreement.
The Club World Cup erected a wall of reality between Ceballos and the team. But he has now become Ancelotti’s first look on the bench for solutions in complex matches.
Source: As
