Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni had a night to forget in the recent clash against AC Milan.
His performance was far from his best, and his substitution at half-time felt almost inevitable for fans watching at Santiago Bernabeu.
Right from the moment his name was announced over the loudspeaker during the change, the crowd began to express their frustration, greeting him with boos.
This is because the former Monaco star was directly involved in both goals scored by Milan, which only added to the disappointment of the home supporters.
Tchouameni was indeed at fault
In the opening goal, Tchouameni’s attempt to challenge the cross from Christian Pulisic fell short; he barely jumped, providing little opposition, which left the Real Madrid defence exposed.
The second goal displayed a series of errors on his part. It started with a poorly executed pass that resulted in a loss of possession. Then, as Pulisic and Rafael Leao advanced, Tchouameni’s efforts to press them lacked intensity, allowing Leao to take a comfortable shot.
After Andriy Lunin’s initial save, Alvaro Morata was left unmarked and seized the opportunity to score, while Tchouameni appeared unfocused and lost track of his positioning.
Numbers have dropped
Tchouameni’s performance was also lacking in terms of defensive contributions, which is typically his main role. He managed only three recoveries in his 45 minutes on the pitch—a low count for someone expected to command the midfield.
The concerning part is that this is not an isolated issue in the Champions League. In his four appearances so far in this European campaign, he has managed just 10 recoveries, placing him behind an astounding 227 other players across the tournament, including nine from his own squad.
Even in La Liga, Tchouameni’s recovery numbers have been underwhelming. With just 44 recoveries to his name, he finds himself outperformed by 19 other midfielders.
For a player of his calibre, especially one trusted to anchor Real Madrid’s midfield, these figures reveal an area of his game that needs significant improvement.
As Real Madrid continue to compete on multiple fronts, they will need Tchouameni to elevate his game if he hopes to justify his place in the starting line-up.