Brahim Díaz had accumulated three games without minutes, without being an option given the need to score for Carlo Ancelotti who denied in the previous match against Sporting Braga that he was a player he did not like or fit into his plans and also responded by including him in his starting eleven in the Champions League.
Second start of the season for Brahim Díaz on his return to Real Madrid after three successful years on loan at Milan that earned him the status of player in the white team’s first team, although, surely, he aspired to more prominence.
Before the 74 minutes played against Braga, he only had 119 in nine games and did not participate in six. Very low figures for a player who used to be important in Italy.
His role changed upon his return to the capital of Spain, although with his performances on the green he demanded more prominence. Especially after his first start on September 27 against UD Las Palmas in which, as against Sporting de Braga, he opened the scoring for Real Madrid and put them on track for victory.
However, his good 56 minutes seemed not to be enough for Carlo Ancelotti who three days later only used him four minutes and a week later he did not play a leading role against Naples.
Then, 12 minutes against Osasuna and three in Seville, on October 21, his last appearance to date dressed as a short.
A lack of prominence that drew attention especially last Sunday when, with the score at 0-0 and the need to score to take the three points against Rayo Vallecano, Ancelotti did not even order him to warm up. Therefore, before the game against Braga, he had to justify his decision.
«I have spoken with him, the truth is that he has not had many minutes. The competition is very great. He is a player that I like because of his characteristics. He is serious, he is professional. He is going to have the role of him, it may be tomorrow or in the next games, but not what I have read that I have something against him. “I don’t sentence anyone,” he said.
“I have something special for him because he has played for Milan,” he joked later.
And Ancelotti showed that he is counting on him with actions. It was his first choice to take the place of Englishman Jude Bellingham, who suffers a dislocated shoulder and has left an important gap in the Whites’ starting eleven.
Already against UD Las Palmas, Brahim was the substitute for Bellingham, who did not play a minute due to rest. Ancelotti sees him in that ’10’ role, connecting with two forwards, and from there there is no one who goes down to Bellingham.
Despite this, the former Malaguista youth player continues to earn more minutes in every moment he has and scored again in his second start, in addition to scoring another goal previously that was annulled due to a previous foul by the Brazilian Vinícius Junior.
Furthermore, he was seen with confidence, trying to filter passes from the front that were very difficult, but which demonstrate the imagination possessed by a ’21’ from Real Madrid who had a double shot in the 56th minute that did not end in a goal.
Performance after which, upon being replaced, he received a standing ovation from his fans, who also chanted his name, and an effusive hug from Ancelotti.
Of course, his good performance against UD Las Palmas did not pave the way for him to have a greater role, in a situation that he hopes will change this time just before an international break in November in which, for another month, there is He doubts whether, after having been international with Spain, he opts for the Moroccan national team, as he has dual nationality.