Real Madrid defender puts in a nonchalant performance as he returns to the starting lineup after more than 14 months | OneFootball

After losing points in all of their previous three games, Real Madrid got back to winning ways in La Liga on Sunday as they beat Girona with a 2-0 scoreline.

Luka Modric once again turned back the years as he stamped his authority on the game to get his side a much-needed win, one which keeps them in a blazing race for the La Liga title with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

The Croatian wizard scored an amazing goal before setting up the second goal of the night by starting a counterattack that was successfully completed by Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.

Thus, the Real Madrid legend rightfully gets all the plaudits for this win and the important three points won at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, this game was even more special for another player, i.e., the defender David Alaba, as he got to start a game after a break of more than 14 months.

As Transfermarkt has noted, the Austrian centre-back suffered a tear in his cruciate ligament on 18th December 2023, and he had to remain on the sidelines to recover from this injury till 1st January 2025. He made some substitute appearances after recovering from this injury, but unfortunately, had to suffer another adductor injury at the start of February, which kept him out for another two weeks.

However, the veteran defender has now regained a good enough level of fitness to start games for Real Madrid, and he showcased this with a nonchalant performance against Girona, in which he did not have a lot to do as the Merengues remained in control of the game.

As Sofascore statistics show, he remained on the pitch for 73 minutes before he was subbed out for Eduardo Camavinga, and he left the pitch without any problems.

As already noted, he did not have a lot to do defensively, and his 2 clearances were the only notable defensive contributions he made on the night. Other than that, he did not engage in any duels or tackles, did not commit any fouls, nor was fouled by an opposition player.

He got on the ball 53 times in total and showed that he has lost nothing in his passing ability, as he completed 45 of his 49 attempted passes, thus recording a 92% success rate. He also attempted 4 long balls, but only 1 of these was accurate.

Thus, this was a perfect game for Alaba to get a start, as he did not have to exert himself a lot, and also was not engaged in any physical battles. Hopefully, this game will help him get nearer to full fitness as his defensive abilities and leadership on the pitch can prove to be crucial as Real Madrid enter the last stretches of the season.