91 touches, 2 key passes, 1 assist: Real Madrid midfielder shines as right back against Atletico Madrid despite fitness concerns | OneFootball

The Santiago Bernabeu braced itself for another UEFA Champions League night as Real Madrid took on city rivals Atletico Madrid in the 1st leg of the Round of 16.

The Merengues headed into this fixture on the back of a loss against Real Betis in La Liga and Carlo Ancelotti knew that this match would not be a walk in the park.

The question was where would the veteran manager start Fede Valverde. The Uruguayan had not played since the Manchester City win and reports suggested that he was 60-65% fit heading into this fixture.

Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos not being involved in the match meant Ancelotti had to decide whether Valverde played in midfield or as a right-back.

Lucas Vazquez had been unconvincing in the buildup to this match, and that may have been one of the reasons Ancelotti chose Valverde to start the match as right back.

From the 1st minute onwards, in what was also his 300th game for the club, he looked like the fittest player on the pitch and it took the 26-year-old just 4 minutes to set Rodrygo up for the opening goal of the night.

He was a force to reckon with in defense and formed a good partnership with Raul Asencio during the game as well.

According to Sofascore statistics, Valverde had 91 touches and an 88% passing accuracy. Moreover, he played 2 key passes and defensively made 4 interceptions and 2 clearances.

It was an all-round performance by the Uruguayan, despite having fitness concerns in the buildup to this game.

Furthermore, during the match, it was visible how well Rodrygo and Valverde played on the right, causing troubles for the Atletico defense not just once.

Post-match, Rodrygo spoke about his chemistry with Valverde and mentioned how the Uruguayan understood his movements well. The Brazilian was also in awe of how well Valverde played even when he was not fully match-fit.

It would not be a surprise if Ancelotti chooses to rest him for the La Liga fixture over the weekend since the 2nd leg at the Wanda Metropolitano awaits and is expected to be way tougher for Real Madrid.

To sum it up, as fans, we have seen Fede Valverde do it all. Be it as a right winger in the UCL final, putting on masterclasses in the midfield consistently, or be rock solid as a right-back. Hence, it would be fitting to call him the most complete player in the world right now.