The right-back rarely grabs the headlines at Santiago Bernabeu, but he has been immensely impactful for Los Blancos so far in 2023-24
Dani Carvajal ripped his shirt off, screamed in delight, and jumped into the stands. Santiago Bernabeu, a tense, subdued stadium just moments before, erupted. And for good reason. Their right-back, of all people‚ had just knocked in a 100th-minute winner to complete a miraculous comeback over La Liga's last-placed team, Almeria.
Carvajal's reaction was an out-of-character outburst for a player who has made a career off remaining level-headed. He is a passionate footballer, yes, but one who holds his nerve, grits his teeth, and grinds through 90 minutes. On Sunday, though, he let go, exploding with the appropriate jubilance of a long-time club servant who had just scored a winning goal.
It marked a stark difference between the Carvajal of six months ago. As recently as July 2023, there were natural concerns about his long-term suitability at the club. Carvajal was in decline at both ends of the pitch, and continuously plagued by injury issues. For a player on the wrong side of 30, an exit seemed entirely conceivable.
Now, though, some key changes in both individual habits and club-wide tactics have led to that all changing. This season, Carvajal is fitter, quicker, and more decisive than he has been in years. And although Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr deservedly grab the headlines in the Spanish capital, Carvajal has been an unsung hero for Los Blancos in 2023-24.
Getty ImagesOff-season changes
Carvajal was the subject of playful online ridicule in 2021 when it emerged that the full-back, after enduring an injury-marred season, had made one key change: he was no longer eating gluten.
It seemed odd that a player who had struggled so often with muscle injuries could simply solve all of his issues by removing bread and pasta from his daily intake, but there was some science behind the decision. Potatoes, gluten, wheat, and certain fruits and vegetables can all cause slight muscle inflammation. But in a game of elite performance, it seemed farfetched that a slight change in diet could effect the state of Carvajal's struggling muscles.
Still, it worked. After playing in just 13 La Liga matches in the 2020-21 season, he appeared in 24 the year after. If he stays fit at a similar rate, he should comfortably play 30 this campaign.
Carvajal himself admitted that his decisions appeared odd — in theory at least. "The diet is a little bit weird and a little bit strict, but it’s something that suits me,” he told in 2022. “And whatever is good for me… Like if I have to eat broccoli morning, noon and night.”
But that's not the only change that has facilitated improvement for the Spain international. Madrid have undergone change in the leadership core this season after club captain Karim Benzema, club captain, left last summer for Saudi Arabia. And while Nacho was always likely to step in as full-time captain, with Luka Modric as his vice, Los Blancos needed a third member of their leadership group.
Enter Carvajal, who officially made the group a trio again in June. He has since worn the armband nine times already this season, with neither Nacho nor Modric assured of their places in Carlo Ancelotti's line-up.
New arrivals have also helped, with reporting that Carvajal has felt more at ease with the return to the club of his childhood friend and brother-in-law, Joselu. It all amounts to a player who is more comfortable stepping into a bigger role.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesAdjusting to a tactical switch
These adjustments have come at the right time, as Carvajal's role itself has changed. Much has been made of Ancelotti's tactical tweaks this season, with the Madrid manager now deploying a midfield diamond to get the best out of Ballon d'Or-frontrunner Bellingham. That change in system hasn't just impacted the midfield, however – all aspects of the team have had to change.
Most notably, wingers Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr have been asked to tuck inside and play as split strikers. And though both do drift out wide so as to allow Bellingham space to do his thing down the middle, the lack of attacking width that is provided by the forward players has been noticeable, particularly down Rodrygo's right.
In response, Ancelotti has asked Carvajal to offer that option. As such, he is consistently Madrid's most advanced player, eagerly making rigid up-and-down runs along the touchline. The numbers reflect his change, as Carvajal is now in the 96th percentile for progressive passes received among all full-backs worldwide this seson, and in the 87th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area, according to .
It's the kind of alteration that would appear risky when enforced on a 32-year-old with a patchy injury history. But Carvajal has been an almost ever-present, having missed just a couple of games with a minor calf injury in September.
Getty ImagesImpact at both ends
Carvajal's attacking numbers highlight the impact he is having higher up the pitch, too. He has scored four goals already this season, while assisting three more in all competitions.
Those contributions have been vital, too. His first goal of the season was a crucial equaliser against Sevilla to salvage a point on the road. His second was an emphatic thump with his weaker foot to break the deadlock in an emphatic 5-1 win over Valencia. Then came a goal and an assist in the dramatic 5-3 win over Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Spanish Supercopa.
Most recently, Carvajal turned hero in Madrid's immensely controversial 3-2 win over Almeria. It was, notionally, a striker's finish; a clever volley from a tight angle that snuck past the sprawling goalkeeper. Madrid cannot avoid to drop points with surprise league leaders Girona going so well, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Carvajal's late intervention on January 21 is looked back on as a key moment in the title race come May.
His impact hasn't disappeared at the other end, either. Carvajal is winning 1.26 tackles per 90 minutes, and winning his ground duels at the highest rate of his career. On a more basic level, Madrid are simply a better team with him in it. They score more and concede fewer, on average, when Carvajal is on the pitch.
Getty ImagesEmbracing responsibility
This is all made more important by the lack of depth Madrid have in Carvajal's position. Lucas Vazquez is a serviceable back-up, but has been an obvious weakness when forced into the XI. Atletico Madrid certainly targeted him when the two sides met in September, with all three of their goals coming from Vazquez#s side of the pitch as Los Rojiblancos breezed by their city rivals. While it's admittedly difficult to pin any of this on Vazquez – he is, after all, a converted winger whose contract expires at the end of the season – it shows just how important Carvajal is to Ancelotti's side.
A look further down the depth chart reveals a lack of options, too. Nacho could play at right-back, but is required to offer cover in the middle right now due to season-ending knee injuries sustained by both David Alaba and Eder Militao. Vinicius Tobias, Real Madrid Castilla's Brazilian full-back, is also an option, but he hasn't forced his way into the XI yet, with his only start coming in December's Copa del Rey clash with third-division Arandina.
Rumours have long suggested that Madrid want Reece James to be their right-back of the future, but it is perhaps telling that such talk has quietened in recent months given Carvajal's resurgence.