In the first three season games, against Mallorca, Valladolid and Las Palmas, Dani Ceballos only played five minutes. He enjoyed them in the Bernabéu against the Pucelans, although in that brief interval the White scored two goals (Brahim and Endrick) to close the victory by (3-0). Until day 13 he had only participated in three meetingspassing five games sitting on the bench and six injured by a sprain in the ankle that occurred against Betis.
Impossible return to Betis
The rumors of a possible return to Villamarín intensified in those first months, but the reality is that the Verdiblancos were never a real option Because they do not have liquidity to face the disbursement for the player, which cost Real Madrid 16.5 million in his day, and for which Florentino requested 15 'kilos' last summer. There were offers to go to England and Türkiye, but the player refused to go out to another country.
The Utrera premiered as a starter against Dortmund in Champions in Bernabéu in a match that ended with a win (5-2) and in which he played 90 minutes. Since then the stage has changed a lot and Sevillian has earned Carletto's confidence and, especially his son. Davide, who is married to a Sevillian, knew the uniqueness and technical capacity of the Hispanic, who He has started in 12 of the last 20 games of the Real Madrid. Last Tuesday in Manchester was the sixth match in which he was starting at the beginning of the last seven. He only missed Butarque in Cup against Leganés, in which Ancelotti opted for Plan B, giving minutes to the second Madrid unit.
Ceballos already accumulate 28 games: 14 In League (818 minutes), 7 Champions (298 '), 3 in Cup (129'), 2 in the Spanish Super Cup (60 ') and another in the European Super Cup (2'), to add a total of 1307 minutes. He has not scored goals and has given two assists. But its new role has more to do with the construction and beginning of the play than with the end of it and the final pass. In Manchester he played his meeting 150 with the white shirt, He has already surpassed the games of last season and is on his way to reaching his best season, in the 2022-23 season, in which he played 46 games, scoring a goal and reapparted 9 assists.
During the preseason, Carlo and Davide talked to him and asked him to take a step forward because they saw in him an alternative to the decline of Toni Kross. To live up to the physical demand in the core, Dani has worked the physical appearance with Bernardo Pérez, 'Berni', a personal trainer who also works with Lucas Vázquez and Marco Asensio, In addition to being the person who has kept Sergio Ramos in shape.
Past revolutions in defense
In the last two games the best version of the Sevillian has been seen, and also the lagoons of his game. Before Atlético completed a very complete encounter with the ball at the feet, but without it He committed a foul in a ball in an unimportant divided ball with a seedling in which he nailed the tacos to Barrios, Lor that could cost the red card. Finally, he did not see her for relief from an ancelotti that was feared the worst.
Before Manchester City his excess defensive heat complicated life to Madrid. In a play that did not appear real danger, Foden cut Mendy inward and Ceballos went to the aid running over English on the area of the area, giving a penalty who put the citizens With a few minutes to react. Then the goals of Brahim and Bellingham allowed those of Ancelotti, who thus achieved the first triumph of Madrid in their history in the field of City. And a relief for a Ceballos that soon thanked his companions the goals that made up his serious mistake. In the comments of the Brahim Díaz Instagram post about his goal, the Utrerano wrote the following: “Thank you for saving me not playing in two months.”
In addition, Ceballos apologized to the fans for his ruling: “Immense victory today in a very complicated field! I feel my mistake, thank you I equip for solving it. Together is much easier. See you at Santiago Bernabéu. ”Ancelotti himself spoke with him in the locker room to the conclusion of the game to pass the page and forget the error that could cost the whites expensive. Ceballos came up and let himself be seen in a mixed area:“ If the whole team runs, everything is much easier and we have seen a competitive team. We are able to win the best, but through playing well without ball. ”In Manchester, beyond that naive penalty, Dani was next to Asencio the player who gave the most passes (46 completed 48 attempted, with 95.8% success), he won five of the eleven duels that he disputed and took The recognition of his coach: “The Camavinga and Ceballos party has been impressive.”
Ceballos has taken the step forward that the Ancelotti asked for and today is the natural successor of Kroos, in the absence of continuing to implement that defensive character that demands the pivot position in the core, where his natural company must be Tchouameni or Valverde. And that step not only appreciates Ancelotti, the coach Luis de la Fuente, one of his great defenders in the lower categories of the selection He will count on him again in March. Dani has not returned to the National Team since he participated in the defeat of Spain in Glasgow against Scotland (2-0), first and unique to the coach in an official match. Back in March 2023 forming a core with Rodri and Mikel Merino. Two years later the new Kroos will dress the Red again and Real Madrid will have an international again in the call.
