Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva Raise Their Hands for Real Madrid

During Real Madrid's match against Roma last Wednesday, we were able to see that Jose Mourinho quite likes the idea of the double pivot. He again started Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, but this was quite disappointing since the playmakers could not do it and were dominated by the Italian team to the point that, at the end of the first half, Thibaut Courtois had more passes than the Frenchman and the Uruguayan.

The duo did not work either in the first half or at the start of the second, which was when Donyell Malen took advantage to score two goals. Mourinho, with the match 3-1 against, decided to revolutionize the encounter by bringing on Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva. The Turk's entry made Valverde move to cover the right-back position, something he already did in last Saturday's match against Villarreal, and it went very well for him.

The Guler-Bernardo combination was notably different from the one that started the match with the Frenchman and the Uruguayan. Now, Madrid had broad control of the ball and ended up coming back from behind thanks to the Turk's two assists, who also participated directly in Carlos Espi's goal, proving that the quality he has when it comes to sending crosses into the area is something few can match.

Endrick and Carlos Espi were the other duo in charge of revolutionizing the attack; especially the Brazilian was seen attempting multiple runs, putting Roma's defense in trouble. In the end, both forwards were able to get on the scoresheet, supporting the comeback and raising their hands to be considered starters and not always as sparks off the bench.

However, despite the good performances of those who came off the bench, the Portuguese coach was very blunt in his comments during the post-match press conference. "If we start as we finished, they score five on us. There are moments and moments. I had substitutions to make. They were going to get tired; the cards were going to come." With this, he gives us an idea that it is still better to start matches with a more physical midfield.

Another of the important points the Champions League match left us with is the way Valverde adapts to right back, a position he himself had said he did not entirely enjoy, but on this occasion he commented: "The important thing is to win, as the coach said. If things go well, you have to move forward, and I am happy to keep having minutes, wherever it may be. I enjoy playing a lot; I had a lot of space to run on the flank, and I am grateful that the coach keeps trusting in me, and I will give my maximum for the team."

What is clear is that both Guler and Bernardo are crying out for more opportunities to start in the starting eleven. Being fundamental pieces in the comeback of a match that, under the scheme initially set out by Mourinho, did not have more to give, they ask to be the solution to a midfield that does not quite convince Madridismo.