Aurélien Tchouameni is one of the players who are rather diplomats when they respond to the press. The Real Madrid player generally avoids controversies, but there is a subject on which he does not hide: the preference concerning his post on the field.
Tchouameni does not like to play in central defense. He said it several times. Defensive midfielder by training, the French international has very often fell with a notch in the past two seasons, to help out, when the Real rear guard was decimated by injuries. He fulfilled his role as best he could, without flinching, for the good of the team. As a good soldier.
The former Monegasque could hope that the departure of Carlo Ancelotti leaves this bad memory behind him. But from the first match with Xabi Alonso, Tchouameni played 45 minutes in the middle … before going into defense in the second period.
Tchouameni still in defense
With the absences of Militao, Rudiger and Alaba, Xabi Alonso had started with a hinge made up of the recruit Dean Huijsen and Raul Asencio. At the break, dissatisfied with the performance of his team, the Madrid coach brought in the attacking midfielder Arda Güler in place of Asencio. This is where Tchouameni slipped back.
Marca observes that this change allowed Real to clearly improve its circulation of the ball, which illustrates the figures concerning possession (45% for Real in the first period, 59% in the second). The Madrid daily adds that Tchouaméni has made a good copy in defense, being solid to the duel, and leaving it to express his game forward.
