Danilo fails to convince as Dani Carvajal's Real Madrid deputy
The right back was out of position for Celta's opening goal on Wednesday night and has been on the pitch for six of Real Madrid's last seven defeats.
The news that Dani Carvajal could be out for up to a month and a half has sounded the alarm bells at Real Madrid and opened the door for Danilo to enjoy an extended run in the side. The Brazilian full back’s propensity for moving upfield to join the attack and leaving his flank open coupled with his lack of defensive cogency continue to raise doubts about his suitability to deputize for the Spain international.
Celta mistake
Danilo started the 2-1 Copa del Rey defeat to Celta Vigo and was substituted in the 80th minute to a chorus of boos from the stands. For Celta’s opening goal the full back had advanced to try and cut out the danger in midfield but in doing so left his wing exposed and allowed Theo Bongonda to go on the careering run that would result in Iago Aspas’ strike.
Pass accuracy
Comparing Danilo’s heat map with Marcelo’s in Wednesday’s game highlights the right back’s lack of mobility. However, although Marcelo was involved in more areas of the pitch it is fair to point out that Danilo’s pass success rate in the opposition half was considerably better than his compatriot’s: 92.5 percent to 58.3 percent.
However, Danilo’s overall performance for Madrid this season does not compare well to Carvajal’s. The Spain international has played almost double the number of minutes and his stats are considerably better, with 5.8 recoveries per game to Danilo’s 4.3.
Carvajal and Danilo season to date
| Carvajal | Danilo | |
| Games played | 22 | 12 |
| Starting 11 | 20 | 11 |
| Minutes played | 1.805 | 950 |
| Recoveries | 116 | 45 |
| Recoveries per x minutes | 15,56 | 21,11 |
Source: OPTA.
Data from Liga, Copa and Champions League matches 2016-17.
Danilo involved in six of seven defeats since his arrival
Another statistic that does not reflect well on the Brazilian is that since he arrived at the Bernabéu 18 months ago, he has been on the pitch for six of the side’s seven defeats, only missing the Sevilla game last weekend and the final 10 minutes of the loss to Celta.
