Since he crossed the barrier of the Pyrenees and that he no longer crosses that of Clairefontaine, few are the news of Eduardo Camavinga which reach France. So, what becomes of the French prodigy, the youngest post-war Blues scorer? Transferred to Real Madrid this summer, while PSG were also interested in him, the native of the province of Cabinda, Angola, could find the French club, Wednesday March 9, for the second leg of the shock of the knockout stages of Champions League.
In the absence of Casemiro, suspended, and with an uncertain Toni Kroos despite his presence in the group, it is almost the whole environment of the White House which is to be reviewed. If Luka Modric should hold his rank well, “Eduardo with the golden feet” should at least have playing time in a match at stake on Wednesday.
And his performance over the weekend, against Real Sociedad (4-1 victory), undoubtedly convinced his coach, Carlo Ancelotti, to call on him. In an experimental three-man environment, with Dani Ceballos and Casemiro, the Frenchman was precise (90% successful passes), precious and decisive. In the 40th minute, it was he who sounded the revolt with a powerful strike outside the area while his team was trailing (1-0).
“He is a young player but he has qualities. He knows very well the importance he has in this team. I have discussed it with him in recent weeks”, assured the Italian coach about the former Rennes player.
Since his debut at the Santiago Bernabéu, Camavinga has captivated his fans as much as his teammates (Karim Benzema notably called him a “phenomenon”). If he is still far from being an indisputable holder, crossed out by the trio of thirty-year-olds, he is on the other hand part of the rotation, accumulating 17 matches played including 7 as a holder in the league, and only one tenure in the European Cup. A status of young player in short, who waits his turn and learns every day in contact with one of the best trio in the world in the middle.
Despite his meager playing time, Casa Blanca fans and the Madrid press are pleading for more playing time than they already dream of. In Spain, the whimsical but recognized Marca is full of praise for Camavinga. In an article published on Saturday after the game against Real Sociedad, the newspaper asked to see “more often” the young man of 19 years.
¡VAMOS! pic.twitter.com/GsWK6s6xnd
— Real Madrid CF (@realmadrid) March 7, 2022
“We do not understand that the Frenchman has played so little this season, because every time he enters the field, he does well, estimates the daily. The Frenchman is not asked to start in every game, because the Casemiro-Kroos-Modric trident is made up of great players, but more presence in the team.
Precisely, Wednesday against Paris Saint-Germain, two heads of the trio could therefore be missing on the Bernabéu lawn. The perfect opportunity to launch the Blue. “Camavinga deserved his presence against PSG, continues Marca in an article in the form of a plea. Without Casemiro and maybe without Kroos, the Frenchman and Valverde (Federico Valverde, 23) have to play. Their presence does not guarantee a result, far from it, but it does guarantee energy and enthusiasm. Madrid need to speed up the midfield renovation with these two players if they don’t want them to wither away on the bench.”
“I think his place is more next to Casemiro rather than in place of Casemiro, but he can do both, no problem” has, for his part, specified Carlo Ancelotti. If he can “do both”, Eduardo Camavinga could therefore start this shock of the round of 16 in the shoes of a holder. An opportunity to show his coach that he can count on him, even in major events. An opportunity, too, to remind France of football that it is still there, and that the many promises sown everywhere from Rennes to the France team still exist and are just waiting to spring up.