29-year-old Real Madrid defender finally shows signs of improvement in latest win against Mallorca | OneFootball

Despite not being the best going forward, the French defender Ferland Mendy has been a key part of the Real Madrid backline in the last few years. At his peak, he was one of the best defensive left-backs in Europe, and his presence was crucial in helping the Merengues obtain their last two UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles.

However, this season, he has been far from his best. The defender has struggled at times to showcase even the defensive skills that set him apart from other fullbacks who provide much more going forward. Similarly, his offensive contributions have also left a lot to be desired.

As a result, he is no longer an automatic starter for Carlo Ancelotti this season, with the Italian tactician giving Fran Garcia a lot of starts lately, while also playing the midfielder Eduardo Camavinga as a left-back at some points this season.

But for their Spanish Super Cup semi-final tie against Mallorca, the Real Madrid head coach once again decided to field the Frenchman on the left wing.

Fortunately, Mendy put up a significantly improved performance in this game, which would definitely have been an encouraging display for Ancelotti, as his defensive skills can once again prove to be vital for Los Blancos in this second half of the season.

The French defender remained on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, and, according to Sofascore data, despite Mallorca’s inability to pose any significant attacking threat, managed to make 1 interception and 2 clearances. Similarly, he also won both of his 2 ground duels and both of his 2 aerial duels.

His passing was also quite good on the night, as he managed a 94% accuracy rate, completing 60 of his 64 passes. The fullback also put in 2 key passes in the game and completed the only 1 long ball that he attempted on the night.

There is no doubt that there are still some notable weaknesses in his game, and one of his mistakes led to a clear chance on goal for Mallorca as he was unable to control an intercepted pass. Similarly, both Fran Garcia and Camavinga provide a much more dynamic attacking presence in the opposition areas.

Still, there is no doubt this was a markedly improved performance from the Frenchman than what he has offered for the most part of this season for Real Madrid. But it also needs to be kept in mind that he was not really tested by Mallorca often, and it remains to be seen how he will perform when fielded against sides that will look to put up a greater challenge defensively.