Real Madrid’s first league game of the new season was not a disaster, but it left a feeling that a lot must improve for the team to be competitive once again.
Three new signings started against Espanyol – Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate – and all three left very different impressions.
Dumfries was solid at right-back and did enough to warrant another start, while Bernardo was disappointing throughout the game and never looked in his element.
Konate, however, had a mixed night and left the field with bittersweet feelings, as furthered by Diario AS.
The positive takeaways
Ibrahima Konate had a mixed outing vs Espanyol. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
On an individual level, Konate’s performance was encouraging as he showed good defensive actions, understanding and the timing of his challenges was perfect.
The player won duels with ease and showed his leadership on the field, and the numbers speak volumes.
Konate was the Real Madrid player with the most touches of the ball, completed 97% of his passes and won eight of a possible 11 duels against Espanyol.
Further, he racked up nine defensive contributions and had a staggering five clearances.
A lot to improve
Konate made his competitive debut for Real Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
As good as the Frenchman’s performance was, however, it left a feeling that there is still much scope for improvement. After all, the player slowly faded out as the game progressed.
For starters, the player was poorly positioned for Espanyol’s goal and was not marking any attacker at the time.
Further, the player was doubtful about when to drive forward and when to circulate the ball sideways, showing that his decision-making must still improve.
There were times in the game where Konate was overconfident and lost the ball, and his performance thus did not make for a perfect debut. It remains to be seen if he holds on to his starting spot for the team’s next game this week.