A mixed first outing
Ibrahima Konate made his official debut for Real Madrid on Saturday night. The Merengues won 2-1 against Espanyol, with Carlos Espi striking at the death to settle it.
The French defender did not convince everyone. His positioning in the box came under fire for the Catalan side’s goal. The sloppiness was mainly there in the first half.
There was more to like after that. Konate won his duels and looked strong in the air.
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AS keeps the brakes on
AS ran a piece on the defender. The Madrid daily pointed to clear room for improvement and some shaky build-up play. Its verdict was blunt enough: “an acceptable start, but mistakes that could raise doubts with his new coach.”
The outlet also says Konate has not fully won people over inside the club. Dean Huijsen looks set in the back line. Konate, for his part, still has to see off Antonio Ruediger.
Mourinho has set the tone
The backdrop hardly helps. Jose Mourinho has warned his squad that no one gets a free pass at Real Madrid. Every player has to earn his spot, week after week.
Konate knows the drill. He arrived on a free after his Liverpool deal expired, and the Sochaux academy product had made Madrid his choice early, which shut down the competition for his signature.
The next test comes quickly. Real host Real Sociedad on Wednesday night. Mourinho’s line-up will show whether these doubts are already biting.
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