Real Madrid secured a valuable 1-0 victory on Saturday night against Getafe. It meant a first clean sheet for Los Blancos in La Liga and the league leadership, as Barcelona must now win to return to the top of the table.
It was far from a vintage performance, but it was a solid one. Going to a ground they were beaten in last season, Real Madrid fronted up and looked solid in defence. Eduardo Camavinga hinted that they were expecting a physical match to Diario AS.
“I am used to these types of games, because in France, there are many like this, with a lot of intensity and hits. It’s football, [it’s] normal. We were conscious of the level that there would be on the pitch.”
He also hinted at a tactical change. Camavinga was making his third start of the season alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Luka Modric in midfield. The Frenchman described his relationship on the pitch with his compatriot.
“We can both get into the attack and we are complete. When we play at the same time, we rotate, we permutate. If he goes, I stay and vice versa.”
This represents something of a departure from previous seasons and potentially a move towards more of a double-pivot system in the future.
Both Camavinga and Tchouameni made their names in that style of midfield and it frees Modric up to play higher up. Previously, with Casemiro in midfield, it was closer to a three working together. Although Toni Kroos and Modric would drop deeper, it was often to help with the build-up, while Casemiro still took care of shutting down attacks. Having the ability to rotate and surprise sides more could be another string to their bow.
