Rudiger's Real Madrid role clarified after left-back experiment
Stuart Telford
- Updated: 27 Jul 2022 09:19 BST
- 3 min read
Antonio Rudiger's first Real Madrid start came at left-back, but he returned to central defence against Club America on Wednesday.
Rudiger is a regular for Germany at centre-back, and became one of the most in-demand defenders in the game from the left of a back three at Chelsea, with whom he won the Champions League in 2021.
Available on a free transfer this summer, there was a clamour for his signature - one Real won, tying him down to a four-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The European Champions have just got stronger 💪
Antonio Rüdiger has been confirmed as a new Real Madrid player 🤝 pic.twitter.com/Ps7Yz71JUp— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) June 2, 2022
There was some surprise, then, when he lined up on the left of a back four for Real's Clasico clash with Barcelona in Las Vegas last Sunday, especially with David Alaba - a longtime left-back with Bayern Munich - tucked in inside him.
Real lost that game 1-0, and they then drew 2-2 with Club America on Wednesday with Rudiger restored to his favoured central position, alongside Nacho, with Ferland Mendy getting the nod at left-back.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti is simply glad to have options in his back-line.
Ancelotti: 'Rudiger did well'
"I had to try Rüdiger at centre-back this time, and he did well alongside Nacho," explained the Italian coach, who steered Real to a La Liga and Champions League double last term.
"It's clear that the starter [at left-back] is Mendy, but we have backups there for when he can't play. We could have a more attacking profile in David Alaba, or a more controlled one in Rudiger."
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It would seem then, that Rudiger can expect to play centre-bac more often than not, with his ability to play wider only seen as a bonus.
That doesn't mean he is guaranteed to start in the UEFA Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt next month, with Ancelotti likely to start Eder Militao alongside Alaba at the heart of his defence, with Mendy on the flank.
"We should consider the line-up that won the Champions League, since they're the reason we have this chance to win a trophy," he said.
