Real Madrid: the Spanish press does not spare Yan Diomandé after his first start

Real Madrid secured a convincing 4-1 victory against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday evening, but the flow of the match left a mixed feeling. In the second half in particular, the Santiago Bernabéu even let out a few whistles, before Kylian Mbappé sealed the match with a liberating fourth goal. On this double-edged evening, one name stood out in particular: Yan Diomandé, who was included in José Mourinho’s starting eleven for the very first time since his arrival in the Spanish capital. A golden opportunity to impress... that the former Leipzig player did not quite manage to seize.

Without being a total failure, Diomandé did not really make an impact on the match. The one moment to remember is when he dribbled past two opponents before shooting well over the bar, but there were few other highlights to savor. At times, one could sense what has already been seen in him: that of a player still somewhat restrained by apprehension. The Bernabéu crowd, for their part, showed leniency and applauded him when he was substituted. The media treatment, however, was harsher.

A level of expectation matching the price paid

"Let’s talk about Diomandé. We still don’t know if he is a prodigy or not. And when you cost 140 million euros, that’s a problem, even if the price isn’t his fault. But yes, that price is going to follow him for a long time. Against Rayo, Mourinho gave him his first start and he was very quiet. For the most expensive player in the history of Real Madrid, you have to expect more than just two good runs down his side," writes Marca. The Madrid daily gave him a 5/10 in their match ratings, the lowest among the starters and the second lowest in the squad, just ahead of Camavinga (who came on at halftime) who received a 4.

For AS, the assessment is similar: "You sense timidity in his play," one can read. The newspaper even goes as far as to say that "Diomandé cooled the Bernabéu," while admitting his performance was not entirely to be written off, particularly highlighting his defensive efforts. On Cadena SER, journalist Antonio Romero gave an equally unequivocal analysis: "In the moments he played, Diomandé did not impress us. The starter today is Güler. But sometimes you’re obliged to play Diomandé to avoid creating doubts around the player."

Moreover, coming off the bench, Arda Güler put in a solid performance (providing an assist for the fourth goal), confirming that the starting spot remains out of reach for Yan Diomandé for now; his direct competition seems to be with Brahim Diaz off the bench.

Yan Diomandé will have the chance to answer his critics as soon as Tuesday against Elche, but above all next weekend in the derby against Atlético.