Carvajal is ready for the rematch after a horror eight-rounder. Can he defend Mbappé?

Dani Carvajal seemed to break out in a cold sweat when Real Madrid beat PSG in the Champions League eighth round. He knew full well that he would be up against Kylian Mbappé and that proved fatal. How ready is the Spanish defender for the rematch?

Carvajal is a highly experienced 30-year-old full-back who is turning nine at Real Madrid. He has won countless trophies, including the Champions League four times. So, on the face of it, nothing should throw him off.

But defending Kylian Mbappé? Probably the toughest task in the football world at the moment. The speed and dynamism of the French footballer is extremely difficult to catch, which Carvajal has experienced first-hand. And yet he has no problems with speed and can usually deal with all wingers without any problems.

But the eighth final at Princes’ Park didn’t suit him at all. From the start, Mbappé put Carvajal on a merry-go-round from which there was no escape.

It all culminated in the 61st minute when Mbappé leaked in the whitewash to Carvajal, who pulled the emergency brake and caused a penalty. It was caught by Courtois, much to Messi’s delight, but even so Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t watch it any longer. So ten minutes later he took Carvajal off the field and sent Lucas on for him.

But this change didn’t bring much success. Mbappé knew how to deal with Lucas as well, and in the 90th minute he danced past him in the whitewash and decided the game with the only goal.

Carvajal is currently not in the form he was in 2016-2018, when Real Madrid dominated Europe. He has been plagued by injuries, last year he spent most of the season on sick leave, this year he has also had to take two enforced breaks, the first for a month and the second for a month and a half.

He came back by the way just a week before the botched duel at PSG, maybe he wasn’t 100% fit yet. Since then, however, he’s played almost a full game three times, Real Madrid have won three times, Dani has regained the necessary confidence and, you could say, form.

So he goes into the PSG rematch in a completely different frame of mind. And his goal? Simple and extremely difficult. To eliminate Mbappé, the Parisian’s most dangerous man. If he succeeds and Real Madrid advance, he will have the lion’s share of the credit.

Source: Real Madrid, UEFA