Real Madrid star Tchouaméni sends message to boss Ancelotti with MOTM display vs Mallorca | OneFootball

The performance put forth by Aurélien Tchouaméni in Real Madrid’s latest outing on Saturday evening served as something of an unspoken message to his manager.

Suspended for Wednesday’s trip to The Etihad to face Manchester City, France international Tchouaméni was afforded his latest start a short time ago.

This came as Real turned attentions back towards matters on the domestic front, in a La Liga meeting with RCD Mallorca.

And, when all was said and done in a hard-fought 90 minutes, Tchouaméni proved himself the decisive figure.

As much came with the 24-year-old having netted the game’s only goal, in absolutely stunning fashion.

After picking the ball up near-30 yards from goal, Tchouaméni drove an unstoppable bending drive into the far corner of the Mallorca net, early in the 2nd-half.

And yet, this proved just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact made by the former Monaco man at Son Moix.

Patrolling the middle of the park, Tchouaméni impressed on both sides of the ball, acting as a shield for Real Madrid’s backline, and a cool head in possession.

His Man of the Match award was a fully deserved one, and, as alluded to above, acted as a reminder to head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Real’s headmaster has of course made use of Tchouaméni’s talents to convert the Frenchman into a makeshift central defender over recent months.

Despite club captain Nacho having been sitting in reserve just this week against Man City, Ancelotti opted to utilise Tchouaméni at the back, in arguably his side’s biggest fixture of the season.

On Saturday, though, the Rouen native provided a reminder to both his manager, and anyone else who may have momentarily forgotten.

Tchouaméni is a midfielder, and his influence on the pitch is most keenly felt when lining out in his natural position in the middle of the park.

Conor Laird | GSFN