Zinedine Zidane’s Suspended Veteran Remains Crucial For Real Madrid Against Manchester City

After dominating the La Liga tournament, Real Madrid is looking to dominate in their succeeding Champions League matches. With the depth in their roster, having veteran Sergio Ramos suspended against Manchester City would not be such a major concern for Los Blancos.

With the leadership traits that Ramos possesses, he can still maintain as a strong figure for the team by giving pointers to those spearheading the defense. Making a difference even off the field is something that the 34-year-old defender is more than capable of doing per Fansided’s The Real Champs. The former World Cup winner has proven himself as a leader with how much respect his teammates give him.

One of the main players who can step up for Real Madrid on the defensive end against Manchester City is Eder Militao. While Ramos won’t be able to play on the pitch, he can direct the likes of Militao on certain adjustments on the field. The experience Ramos has is more than enough to know exactly what to do in big matches against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The manner Militao plays on the field has been one of the strengths of Real Madrid with the energy he brings every night. The 22-year-old has suited up for 19 total matches for Los Blancos and serves as a steady contributor for the club. While he sat on the bench for Zinedine Zidane in 23 games in the recent La Liga season, he still had quality appearances on the pitch with 10 starts.

With high-pressure situations, Militao is there to step up in Ramos’ absence and take on the strikers of Manchester City. In partnership with Raphael Varane, Militao can prove to be crucial in defending against the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling.

The constant performance of Zidane’s top players has helped the veteran manager notch his 11th trophy for the club in the recently concluded La Liga tournament. The cerebral approach of Zidane serves as an edge for Real Madrid as he knows exactly what to do even if his lineup is hindered without his star defender. While there are offensive superstars such as Karim Benzema leading the charge, their defense has shown that they are just as crucial for the club.

The organization has won the Champions League multiple times under Zidane’s leadership before and they’re looking to do the same care of players such as Militao and Varane stepping up when players like Ramos are on the bench.