After the derby, we’ve seen Isco receiving many compliments. The Málaga born player gave a show at Vicente Calderón and he has earned to start in Lisbon. Isco hasn’t made his debut yet in the Champions League triggering all the rumours of a transfer in the winter window. However, the playmaker is expected to start at José Alvalade after the good level shown in the last games and also the goal scored with Spain at the very last minute at Wembley.
Isco is enjoying again many minutes with Real Madrid. The negative side of this is James Rodríguez. The Colombian player was again on the bench and only played 7 minutes in the game. James Rodríguez has lost his position in the team and now Kovacic or Isco are ahead in the squad.
The former Monaco player was also heavily criticized in Colombia after the defeat in Argentina. In La Liga, James has only played 6 games and 215 minutes. In the Champions League, the Colombian has appeared in 3 games, with 145 minutes. On the other hand, Isco played 9 games in La Liga with 519 but he has still to play in the Champions League. Therefore, Zidane is trusting more in Isco than in James Rodríguez.
Both players occupy the same position in the pitch. Now that Casemiro and Toni Kroos are out of the team, they have the chance to fight for a position in the starting eleven. With Luka Modric as a fixed player in Zidane’s formation, Isco has put himself ahead of this fight with great performances. The Spanish player has also seen the net twice, scoring both goals against Real Betis.
Real Madrid have a busy schedule in this part of the season, with El Clásico, two games of the Champions League group stage, Copa del Rey and soon they’ll travel to Japan to play the FIFA World Cup. James Rodríguez needs to step forward and find himself in the team or he’d lose another opportunity to convince Zidane that he’s the best player in the playmaker position.
Which player do you prefer, Isco or James Rodríguez?
