MAY 26 — Ahead of tonight’s Champions League Final meeting with Liverpool, Real Madrid’s rich resources of attacking prowess are very well known.
It all starts, of course, with Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in the competition who has blasted another 15 goals in the current European campaign and is arguably the most potent goal-getter in the history of the sport.
He is likely to be supported in the starting eleven by Karim Benzema, the silky smooth Frenchman who has struggled to score this season but still plays an important part for the team with his nimble approach play.
Another option is Gareth Bale, who a few weeks ago appeared to be on his way out of the club after a disappointing season, but has roared back into form at just the right time with a batch of excellent strikes to send a reminder of his match-winning capabilities.
There’s more. Attacking midfielder Isco is expected to claim a place in the starting eleven and can always prove decisive with his ball-playing skills, and Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane could also turn to rising star Marco Asensio, a gifted performer who is able to play on either flank or through the middle.
That’s everyone, right? And what an array of attacking talent it is, giving Zidane every option a manager could wish for.
Not so fast. We’re forgetting someone. A player who is always bizarrely undersung and underappreciated but who has played a very important role for his team this season and who could well be a key figure in Kiev on Saturday night: Lucas Vazquez.
For some reason, in the minds of outsiders Vazquez manages to be an anonymous afterthought amid a galaxy of stars.
If he is mentioned at all, which is rare, he’s often misperceived as a ‘promising youngster’, despite the fact that he will be 27 years old in a few weeks and has played in well over 100 Madrid games over the last three seasons, including the 2016 Champions League Final when he scored the first penalty in the shoot-out victory over Atletico. He is also a regular in the Spain national team, having earned a place in this summer’s World Cup squad.
Who made the most league appearances for Real Madrid this season? Lucas Vazquez. Who ranks joint second in assists for the team? Lucas Vazquez. Who has made the joint third-highest number of Champions League appearances? Lucas Vazquez. Who did Zidane introduce from the bench at half-time when things were going badly wrong against Juventus in the second leg of the quarter-final? Lucas Vazquez. Who was fouled for the tie-winning penalty which sent Juve keeper Gigi Buffon into apoplexy? Lucas Vazquez.
I think that’s enough to show that Lucas Vazquez, even though nobody outside Madrid seems to be particularly aware of him, is a key player for Los Blancos and has a big chance of playing a major role in this weekend’s showdown with Liverpool.
His strange anonymity is largely explained by his modest playing style: he’s not a fancy dribbler; he doesn’t do stepovers; he doesn’t score many goals; he doesn’t caress threading-the-needle through-balls; he doesn’t unleash fierce shots from 25 yards.
He’s just not the kind of player who catches the eye for how he plays, nor for his physical appearance. With his small stature and sensible crew cut, and lack of tattoos, he looks unremarkable. He doesn’t have Isco’s hipster beard, Bale’s man-bun, Ronaldo’s toned muscles or Asensio’s tanned good looks. He just looks like a normal bloke, someone you’d find at a quiet desk job rather than in a dressing room of superstars.
All of this is very deceptive, though, because Vazquez is an extremely effective player. Lining up on the right wing, he is a bundle of energy and effort, never giving anything less than 100per cent. He is diligent in defence, giving great cover to his full-back Dani Carvajal, and also a major threat going forward with his fast and direct running, and his ability to deliver dangerous low crosses into the box.
For those reasons, Zidane believes in him. For the first leg of the semi-final against Bayern in Munich, the French coach selected Vazquez from the start, leaving Benzema, Bale and Asensio on the bench. He also played the full 90 minutes in the second leg, appearing at right-back in place of the injured Carvajal.
And although Carvajal has now recovered to resume his usual position, it would be unusual if Vazquez doesn’t appear at some stage this weekend.
Unlike most of his teammates, he allows the team to retain something resembling a coherent shape thanks to his defensive discipline. This kind of togetherness is often conspicuous by its absence, especially when Vazquez is off the pitch. More than any other player, he helps a group of individuals look like an actual team — and Zidane knows it.
Vazquez, perhaps, should be seen as Madrid’s Mister Fixit. When things are going wrong or the team needs to be held together, he is the first man Zidane turns to. He is, in many ways, indispensable.
And if he plays another key role this weekend, perhaps he’ll finally start to get the credit he deserves.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
