He started as the No. 3 in the Youth League. Now he is the No. 3 in the Champions League – and a starter in La Liga. Víctor Valdepeñas’ rise has taken another decisive step: he will start on Sunday against Alavés. With Ferland Mendy injured and Fran García and Carreras suspended, Xabi Alonso has handed the 19-year-old the left-back spot from kickoff. The leap is complete.
Real Madrid’s starting XI vs Alavés
The lineup confirms it. Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rüdiger, Valdepeñas; Güler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Vinicius, Mbappé and Rodrygo. Three changes compared with the Champions League XI underline the manager’s intent. The headline, unmistakably, is Valdepeñas’ debut as a starter at left back. Mbappé returns, and Güler is back in midfield. Rodrygo keeps his place.
A particular kind of defender – center back or left back – whose potential is beyond debate. Carlo Ancelotti gave him No. 45 last season (he was called up against Villarreal); now he wears No. 40. His physique is his calling card, the kind that erases the gap between age groups. It made him undroppable for Álvaro Arbeloa, partnered with Joan Martínez at center back. For Xabi Alonso, he has been the “on-call three.” On Sunday, he is the starting left back.
He did not begin as a starter, but once he claimed the spot, he never let go. That happened on matchday 7 with Castilla. From then on, ever-present: 888 minutes, the second-most used center back behind Joan. That rise was briefly paused by first-team duty. Curiously, his opportunity arrives in his other position – the one he grew up in. From there, those who watch him daily insist, “he’s going to surprise.”
His identity is built on power and repetition. He comfortably tops 34 km/h and can repeat high-intensity runs again and again. Add his striking ability – forceful, like Federico Valverde, one of his idols. When he trains with the senior side, he studies Valverde and Antonio Rüdiger, his reference point as a center back. A blend refined at Valdebebas since 2023 – since his return.
He learned the basics at Villa Rosa, was shaped at Rayo Vallecano, and Real Madrid knocked for the first time in 2018 for Infantil B. After a season with Infantil A, things did not click as expected. Confidence gave way to the need for a new path, and in 2020 he joined Leganés’ academy. There, he thrived. “You’re going to be one of the best left backs in Europe,” one coach told him.
Three years later, just as Villarreal seemed next, La Fábrica called again. A dazzling play late in a Leganés visit to Valdebebas caught Madrid’s scouts’ eye. He earned his way back and soon took flight. Now he is a key piece for Castilla, already trusted in Europe, and on Sunday he will start in La Liga. No longer just to dream – to play.
yokainpt
15
I'm very sure Real Madrid is going to win against them