Madrid Universal
·22 août 2025
Xabi Alonso plans to hand Real Madrid teenage prodigy his first start vs Real Oviedo

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Yahoo sportsMadrid Universal
·22 août 2025
Last Tuesday saw Real Madrid summer signing Franco Mastantuono make his debut for the club, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 1-0 win over CA Osasuna.
While the 18-year-old sensation did not have a lot of time on the field, he made sure to make an impression on the fans with a nice display of his abilities.
Now, according to AS (h/t RM4Arab), Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso plans to hand Mastantuono his first start later this weekend when they take on Real Oviedo.
Los Blancos travel to Estadio Carlos Tartiere on Sunday night to take on the newly-promoted La Liga club with the aim of securing another victory.
And, as per the update, Alonso plans on starting Mastantuono on the night against Oviedo, deploying him on the right wing.
It would potentially mean that Brahim Diaz, who started on the right flank in the opener against Osasuna, could lose his spot in the starting XI.
Ready to start. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
After all, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr., despite his lack of form, are expected to hold on to their spots in the starting lineup for Real Madrid.
As for Mastantuono, it presents a great opportunity for him to kickstart his career at Real Madrid on a strong note.
The 18-year-old wonderkid was brought in for a total fee exceeding €63 million and was always expected to have a prominent role in Alonso’s plans.
However, considering that he started training with the rest of the squad only last week, there was a possibility of him being eased into action.
But the manager has opted to throw him into the deep end right away from this week’s fixture against Real Oviedo.