Three talking points ahead of Real Oviedo vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD2 | OneFootball

A first away game of the season awaits Real Madrid tomorrow night as they take on Real Oviedo, one of the newly promoted teams in La Liga.

The game will take place at Carlos Tartiere Stadium, a venue where Real Madrid last played in 2001. Notably, however, Los Blancos won only one of their last four games at the venue which all were played between 1999 and 2001.

Situations now are very different, especially considering that a large chunk of the current squad were not even born when Real Madrid last took to the field at the venue. Back at the Carlos Tartiere after 24 years, the objective will clearly be to take three points once more.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Oviedo vs Real Madrid.

Adjusting to the new normal

Xabi Alonso has arrived in the Spanish capital with the intention of changing Real Madrid’s football from the very foundations and it is clear that he is demanding a lot of his players.

If the FIFA Club World Cup did not provide enough of an idea, the team’s outing against Osasuna last weekend made it clear that Alonso expects his team not only to win but to dominate games from start to finish.

Los Blancos, thus, looked to retain the ball and circulate it throughout their first league game, pressed the gas pedal in attack and looked more proactive than before. They were defensively solid, moreover, and barely gave the opponents any chance.

The team’s first outing, however, left the manager and fans with a sense that a lot must improve and understandably so given that the team is still in a phase of adaptation. That will continue tomorrow against Real Oviedo.

Of all the areas the men in white lacked on the night, chance creation and clinical efficiency in front of goal were the two biggest facets where improvement was seen as a must.

Moreover, there is still an overall sense of comfort that must descend into their gameplay if they hope to play as protagonists and the dominating party throughout this season.

Playing against a freshly promoted side, thus, gives them a favourable hunting ground to seek that freedom and experiment with the setup they are being made to adapt to.

A start for a special talent

Full debut for Mastantuono? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Franco Mastantuono’s late arrival at Real Madrid’s dynamics raised certain speculation that his debut for the club could be delayed. After all, a period of adaptation is often offered to new signings to get back up to speed.

The Argentine prodigy, however, needed no such luxury and made his first appearance for the club last weekend, under a week after he first trained with the team.

Mastantuono’s cameo against Osasuna was promising, so much so that it has prompted Xabi Alonso to consider handing the player a full debut as early as tomorrow’s game. All signs point to him being a starter on the night.

The player the youngster will replace on the field is likely Brahim Diaz as the manager sees him to be a potent option on the right flank for Real Madrid. Playing from the first minute tomorrow at just 18 years of age, thus, will be special for the youngster.

Having arrived for a massive fee of €63 million from Argentina, there is no doubt that the player has massive pressure on his shoulders and a strong performance tomorrow will help him ease into the dynamics with more breathing space.

After all, he is one for the long haul and Alonso’s decision to throw him into the deep end means there is something special he has shown right from day one in training.

Decisive night for Rodrygo

Time to step up. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

A lot has been said about the future of Rodrygo Goes in recent weeks and Xabi Alonso made it very clear in his pre-match press conference that he trusts the Brazilian star and has him firmly in his plans for the season ahead.

The youngster has not appeared for the men in white in a while and did not even make an appearance off the bench against Osasuna. Tomorrow’s game, however, could well be the occasion for him to rise and prove his worth.

As has been openly relayed in recent days, Alonso is planning to hand Rodrygo minutes against Oviedo, and with the end of the transfer window rapidly approaching, his performance and the impression he generates could well decide his immediate future.

More interestingly, however, Alonso is looking to hand the player a new role in his plans – that of a left-winger which happened to be Rodrygo’s most natural position on the field.

With Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz stepping up as options on the right, Rodrygo is free to play on the left wing where his compatriot Vinicius Jr. has been far from his best for a while now.

Back in his niche and given Vinicius’ recent form, Rodrygo will know that he is one strong performance away from demanding more minutes from the manager. Needless to say, he will focus all his energy towards securing that performance tomorrow.