In the absence of Toni Kroos – whom Real Madrid have yet to forget – Huijsen is proving to be a more than capable stand-in. That much has become clear after three matches at the Club World Cup, where the young center-back has made a remarkable impression. The Spanish international has taken on the responsibility of launching Madrid’s play and has showcased a creative skillset that brings cohesion to the team.

The Huijsen impact

“He’s a very important pillar,” said Xabi Alonso after the win against Salzburg, a match in which his side came particularly close, especially in the first half, to what the manager envisions. The back three setup brought out the best in Huijsen – a generational talent who had already shown glimpses of his quality with Bournemouth and the national team, raising expectations of his potential to extraordinary levels.

With those foundations, Xabi Alonso has fully embraced Huijsen’s role during the early phases of Madrid’s buildup. The team has regained a clarity that had faded during the latter stages of Carlo Ancelotti’s reign. Huijsen is now Madrid’s most involved player — registering 277 touches in the tournament, trailing only Vitinha (PSG, 417), Achraf Hakimi (PSG, 331), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern, 305), Nicolò Barella (Inter, 299), and Willian Pacho (PSG, 282). He breaks lines through passing and carrying, and as a natural ambidextrous player, he’s able to control and distribute the ball with both feet. He is the starting point for Madrid’s play.

Searching for Madrid’s midfield anchor

Huijsen has a broad passing range but always looks for the midfield offering. His ability to open up his body on either foot makes the task easier, allowing him to consistently find teammates in central positions. That was evident with Valverde against Al Hilal – seven passes – with Bellingham in the tense moments against Pachuca – 12 passes – and again with both Valverde and Arda Güler against Salzburg – ten passes each.

Madrid aim to stretch the field through his side, and the back three makes this easier, forcing opponents to take more risks if they want to press high. Huijsen has completed 200 passes in the tournament – almost identical to his idol Sergio Ramos, who managed 202.

Driving and breaking of lines

Ball carrying is a proven virtue in Huijsen's stylebook. Everyone is impressed by his natural ability to overcome lines from the ball, with a very unique manner, an elegant run and a high head. In the World Cup, he averaged 15 runs per game from an average distance close to 11 meters. And several of these plays have resulted in scoring chances for Real Madrid. There is one statistic that stands out as defining: Huijsen has broken through the opponent's lines up to 75 times, twice as many as any other Real Madrid player.

He is a center back who comes out of the dugout without fear and who tactically disconnects his opponents. He doesn't project himself for the sake of projecting, but always notices where the ball is. the teammate to connect with him. It's true that perhaps, at some point, he takes too much of a risk with some almost last-man dribbling. But if he does this, it's not out of an air of self-sufficiency; it's rather that he knows himself perfectly.

Switching the play

Huijsen’s game is also defined by his long-range distribution. He’s completely at ease delivering long balls into space – a trait that Vinicius exploits with his deep runs. His precision in this aspect is no surprise, already established during his time at Bournemouth – where he completed 128 accurate long passes – and with the national team, where he’s consistently switched play towards Lamine Yamal in all four of his appearances.

Anticipation to unleash the transition

Regarding his off-the-ball performance, Huijsen has also established himself as a specialist centre-back for teams looking to press hard in the opposition half. This was perfectly demonstrated against Salzburg, where the three-man centre-back formation suited Madrid wonderfully.The Spanish international was prolific in his anticipation in midfield to help his team recover quickly after losing the ball and mount a counterattack. Valverde's 2-0 lead came after a cut from Huijsen, who was also impressive in this aspect of his game.

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