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Photo by Lluis GENE / AFP via Getty Images
Ever since Marc Cucurella made the move to Real Madrid, there have been question marks. Sold by Chelsea for around £50m, Cucurella has not started as he might have liked.
Ahead of the World Cup, Cucurella was being strongly linked with a return to Barcelona. A product of the La Masia academy, it felt inevitable that Cucurella would move to Barca. Then, Real Madrid made the call.
A deal was done on the day of Spain’s first game at the World Cup, a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde. Spain went on to win the tournament, and Cucurella eventually joined Real Madrid as a World Cup champion.
His form didn’t catch the eye in the first few weeks. However, that has changed after a sparkling display in the El Clasico on Sunday night, as Real Madrid stunned everyone with a 2-1 away win over Barcelona.
Marc Cucurella earns praise from his old Chelsea teammates
Such is the magnitude of the game, fans from all over the world tuned in to see Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe – two of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or – do battle. Even Anthony Gordon v Jude Bellingham.
Cucurella had the task of locking up Yamal, and did a stunning job. Yamal came close on a couple of occasions but given the player he is, Cucurella was excellent. He posted on Instagram after the 2-1 win.
Responding to his post, Trevoh Chalobah commented: “Do not enter”, praising Cucurella’s defending. Romeo Lavia posted a “no entry” emoji, while Pedro Neto sent a heart-eyes emoji to the Spanish star.
What Spanish media said about Marc Cucurella’s performance
Cucurella was second-best for defensive contributions (12) behind former Chelsea target Dean Huijsen. He made the second-most interceptions (3), three tackles, and won four duels throughout the night.
Spanish outlet El Desmarque gave Cucurella a rating of 9/10, claiming he drove Yamal “crazy”. They said he prevented his Spain teammate from “shining”, as Jose Mourinho celebrated the win with a knee slide.
Cucurella comes to life in the big moments; he thrives on the big occasion. So it comes as no surprise that Cucurella saved his best performance in a Madrid shirt against Barcelona, in El Clasico, against Yamal.