On September 29, Beijing Time (CEST), AS published an article analyzing the situations of Valverde and Tchouameni.
It was reported that on September 12, Real Madrid held a narrow 3-1 lead over Rayo Vallecano, but tension filled the Bernabéu. Rayo Vallecano had multiple excellent opportunities to close the gap, at which point Mourinho decided to substitute Tchouameni for Bernardo Silva.
Tchouameni's entrance was met with thunderous applause from the crowd. The camera panned to the Real Madrid bench, where Valverde was seated, joining in the applause as his teammate stepped onto the pitch. The conflict between the two from last May seemed forgotten, and they embraced after the match.
Mourinho has paired them as a double pivot in the last two matches: against Elche and Atlético Madrid. In the match against Elche, the duo played together for 86 minutes with respectable statistics, completing a combined total of 78 passes (Tchouameni 40, Valverde 38).
However, neither player ranked among the team's top five in tackles, a clear weakness. Another notable issue: their combined involvement in offensive actions was 104, ranking 7th and 8th on the team, while Cucurella (58) and Alexander-Arnold (57) surpassed them.
Their statistics in the derby were even worse. For example, Koke, who came on in the second half, even out-passed both Valverde and Tchouameni combined, making 61 passes compared to Valverde's 25 and Tchouameni's 30. In the 71 minutes both Real Madrid players were on the field, they made a combined total of 55 passes.
Their only strong performance was in tackles: Tchouameni with 5 and Valverde with 4. Due to the lack of a creative midfielder, Mourinho decided to form a double pivot with Valverde and Tchouameni, but so far their performance has been inconsistent. For the team's benefit, they need to develop better understanding and cohesion.
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