Rodrygo, Brahim, or Guler: Who should start at the right wing for Real Madrid against Arsenal | OneFootball

Heading into the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, Real Madrid has a mountain to climb. The Santiago Bernabeu is expected to turn up in big numbers, and the players will hope not to let them down.

The 1st leg at the Emirates was nothing short of a horror show. Arsenal were all over the Merengues in the 2nd half, and Carlo Ancelotti’s men had no answer.

Vinícius, Mbappe, and Rodrygo up front were major disappointments. To overturn a three-goal deficit, the attack has to be in form, and except for Mbappe, the Brazilian duo has been out of form for a while.

Now, Vinicius can rely on his previous UCL knockout credentials, but it will be interesting to see whether Ancelotti sticks with Rodrygo on the right wing or explores other options:

1: Brahim Diaz

The Moroccan this season has made some crucial contributions for Real Madrid, for instance, having scored in the 1st leg of the playoffs against Manchester City and doing the same against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano.

In 10 appearances in the UCL, he has played the full 90 minutes only in 1 match, and in La Liga, out of 26 appearances, he has only played 4 full matches.

This stat shows that Ancelotti has more faith in him as a player who can change the game off the bench, as compared to what he can do as a starter.

Brahim does bring out his best game against tired legs when he comes on as a substitute after the 60-minute mark. The 25-year-old possesses the ability to change the complexion of a match in the limited time he has.

His pace and ability to take on defenders make him a good choice to start at right wing. However, his decision-making has to be top-notch since if Los Blancos are to have a chance to go through, tonight’s game has to be perfect to the dot.

2: Arda Guler

This season has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for young Arda Guler. At the start of the season, he showed shades of brilliance and seemed promising enough to play a major part in the season ahead.

However, from February onwards, it was a completely different story. He didn’t get any minutes in the UCL knockouts, and for 4 straight games, he did not play a part in the league fixtures either.

Him starting in tonight’s 2nd leg would not be out of nowhere, but it does seem far-fetched. No goals and assists in the Champions League in 7 appearances this season, and all of a sudden, receiving a start would be surprising, to say the least.

But with what’s at stake, the Italian manager would certainly not hesitate to throw the Turkish national into the deep end.

If Guler does get a chance, this would be the best opportunity for him to show what he’s capable of in what Madridistas are hoping to be a miraculous night.

Now, the most logical option to start on the right wing would be Rodrygo, considering the big game exposure he has and the ability to turn up when it matters the most.

However, the stats are not on his side. The Brazilian has been out of form for a while now, and it was visible at the Emirates, where he failed to register a single shot at goal.

Since the start of February, in 18 matches he has scored just once (against Atletico in the round of 16) and assisted thrice. On the contrary, in UCL this season, Rodrygo has scored 5 goals and assisted twice in 11 appearances.

It is not the first time Real Madrid required a ‘remontada’ against an English club at the Santiago Bernabeu – and Rodrygo was the catalyst the last time Los Blancos were in such a situation.

It’s his chance to prove that the past few months have just been a bad phase and let the 90,000 fans in the stadium and millions around the world know that they can still count on him to script history once again.