Real Madrid not surprised by 18-year-old starlet’s recent breakthrough
· Yahoo Sports
Thiago Pitarch has been around the first-team squad at Real Madrid since the start of the season, but has had to bide his time.
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However, over the past couple of weeks, the teenage midfielder has finally gotten his opportunities under Alvaro Arbeloa and he has made the most of them.
Real Madrid not surprised
Now, according to AS, nobody at Real Madrid is surprised by Thiago’s emergence and breakthrough at the first-team level.
His dynamism had already impressed former coach Xabi Alonso in daily training sessions. The debut, however, took time to arrive. There were 11 call-ups without playing a minute, with occasional returns to the reserve team along the way.
But everything changed in the game against Benfica, where he finally made his debut as a late-substitute, before getting more minutes against the same opposition the second leg of the knockout playoffs.
Last Monday, against Getafe, Thiago made his first-ever start for Real Madrid, filling in for the injured Eduardo Camavinga, and made a big impression. The performance earned him another start against Celta Vigo on Friday and the youngster shone brightly again.
Making the most of his chances. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Thiago’s rise has partly been driven by the team’s injury crisis, but it is far from accidental. At Valdebebas the feeling had been clear for months.
“He just needed a push,” those within the club say. Now that the opportunity has arrived, the belief inside the club is that this is “just the tip of the iceberg.”
Thiago’s minutes have grown steadily. His performances have also generated a reaction from the fans. When he was substituted against Getafe, the crowd at the Bernabeu whistled in protest.
Behind the scenes, his personality-filled performance against Benfica in Madrid also drew praise from the club’s highest levels.
All of this boosts his chances of starting against Manchester City in the upcoming Champions League match.