Real Madrid prepare for ‘Operation Anfield’

Carlo Ancelotti sees Butarque as Liverpool’s testing ground, with questions over Valverde, Asencio and Brahim to answer.

Anfield is reached via Butarque. Just like that. Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti have it clear. Not only will they avoid resting players against Leganés this Saturday ahead of the pivotal battle in Liverpool – crucial for the team’s Champions League journey – but the match will also serve as a major rehearsal. Madrid needs to address three pressing issues before the break: once again deploying Fede Valverde as a right-back, assessing whether academy graduate Raúl Asencio is ready to take on the challenge of starting, and finally, figuring out how Brahim Díaz will fit alongside Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in the attacking trident. Butarque is where answers will be sought.

Versatile Valverde

The most critical aspect is Valverde’s repositioning. Both Asencio and Brahim will remain in their usual roles, but it’s the energetic Uruguayan who will face the challenge of adapting to a right-back position that isn’t entirely unfamiliar but remains a tricky assignment. Valverde has played right-back four times during his Madrid tenure. His first experience in the role, also out of necessity, came during his loan at Deportivo in the 2017-18 season. Interestingly, his four stints in this position for Madrid are split between two managers, Zinedine Zidane and Ancelotti, and across two competitions: La Liga under the Italian and the Champions League under the Frenchman. There’s arguably a fifth instance if one includes the final stretch of Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Sheriff Tiraspol in the 2021-22 Champions League campaign.

Playing as a right-back is not Valverde’s favorite role, but he remains fully committed to the team. It’s a sacrifice that aligns with his growth as one of the squad’s key leaders, already serving as the fourth captain with considerable influence. The No. 8 returns to Butarque as a No. 2.

Brahim Díaz will have a much simpler, though no less pressured, task. The Málaga-born player won’t need to adjust his usual playing style, as he’ll take his familiar position on the right wing. He already did so when Rodrygo was forced off against Osasuna due to injury (which rules him out for both Butarque and Anfield) and even provided an assist to Vinícius. This is his chance to close the gap with Rodrygo in the pecking order and establish himself as the first-choice option in the Brazilian’s absence, ahead of Güler and Endrick.

The best preparation for Butarque and Anfield? Gabon and Lesotho. During the international break, Brahim shone for Morocco, scoring five goals across both matches.

Asencio, under the microscope

The big question mark for Anfield, unless Tchouaméni manages to speed up his recovery, is Raúl Asencio. It’s not about his physical condition, which is flawless. Football operates on much faster timelines than other professions, but his case would still be extraordinary. Exactly one month before this match in Liverpool, where nearly 60,000 voices will sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” the Canary Islands-born center-back was playing against Algeciras in a nearly empty Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano.

This season, Asencio has only faced two forwards with top-flight experience: Argentine Agustín Coscia (who had a brief stint with Rosario Central) and José Callejón, a familiar name in Spanish football, who scored in Marbella’s 1-0 win over Castilla. Asencio is a rookie but has the club’s trust.

Madrid sees Asencio as the ideal stopgap until Tchouaméni returns, assigning him the role of third center-back until David Alaba gets the all-clear from the team’s medical and recovery staff. However, even in such a theoretically temporary role, at Madrid, you have to earn it. For the academy product, the real test will come at Butarque.