Real Madrid: Tchouameni is half the team's strength

Tchouameni's excellent display enabled Real Madrid to grind out a win against Celta Vigo to stay in the La Liga race, and increases optimism ahead of facing Man City.

Just as Celta de Vigo restarted play after Real increased the lead to 2-1 in the 4th minute of stoppage time, referee Diaz de Mera almost immediately blew the whistle to end the match. Real Madrid halted the risk of suffering another defeat. If it had occurred, it would have been their third consecutive loss, following matches against Osasuna and Getafe, something not seen since October 2018 when Julen Lopetegui was dismissed. In such seemingly adverse circumstances, Real Madrid unexpectedly found a guiding beacon. His name is Aurelien Tchouameni.

In the match against Celta Vigo, the French defensive midfielder, who faced severe criticism after a poor performance in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona, once again proved himself to be one of the most consistent and high-performing players for the white-clad team this season.

There is a Spanish proverb: "from past shouts come today's consequences." But for Tchouameni, the meaning seems entirely reversed. From the whistles and criticism after the 2-5 loss to Barcelona, he is gradually becoming a pillar for his teammates on the pitch.

Against Celta Vigo, Tchouameni was nearly half of Real Madrid's lineup. He supported teammates Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger in the heart of the defense; coordinated with Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ferland Mendy, and Arda Guler in building play from the back; initiated attacks for Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior, and connected with Brahim Diaz. His presence became so crucial that many believe Real Madrid could fail without him on the field.

The numbers tell the whole story: At Balaidos, Tchouameni touched the ball 107 times (most for Real Madrid); completed 2/3 successful tackles (67% rate); made 1 key pass (the pass to Trent leading to Valverde's goal); earned 1 free-kick; attempted 4 shots (most in the match, including 1 accurate shot that opened the scoring); recovered the ball 7 times (only behind Rudiger with 10); intercepted 4 times, won 100% of aerial duels, completed 2 dribbles, created 1 chance, pass accuracy 92%, won 7/9 ground duels, made 26 attacking sprints, and 1 breakthrough creating space.

Additionally, Tchouameni succeeded with 88/92 passes (about 10% of the team's total), 23 passes in the opponent's final third. These statistics were enough for him to be voted the best player of the match. This is his third MVP award in the last 5 matches, including two against Benfica. "Number 14" scored in 2/3 recent matches to open the victory for Real Madrid, across all competitions. In the previous 34 matches, he did not score.

A true leader of the collective, at least during the difficult period under Alvaro Arbeloa. As an NBA enthusiast, the French midfielder always follows a philosophy of LeBron James: "I love criticism. It makes you stronger."

It is precisely Tchouameni's excellence that helped Arbeloa's team overcome significant pressure against a very good Celta Vigo. "Los Blancos" made 810 passes, the highest number for any team in a La Liga match this season, but most were harmless. With Tchouameni, Real Madrid hopes to have the key to solving the Man City puzzle.