Carlo Ancelotti is moving closer to selecting a custodian for Real Madrid while Kepa and Andriy Lunin square off.
Real Madrid is happy with their start to the season, but they do have a peculiar predicament when it comes to the custodian position. Many thought the situation was resolved when Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived on loan from Chelsea, following Thibaut Courtois’s season-long absence. However, they do not have a clear top player by the halfway point of the season.
With a string of outstanding performances following Kepa’s injury in October, Andriy Lunin disproved Carlo Ancelotti’s misgivings, and the two have now shared minutes as Kepa has recovered. Lunin continued in La Liga against Real Mallorca after the interval, but Kepa started in the Copa del Rey matchup against Arandina.
According to Marca, if it were a La Liga match, Lunin would almost definitely start in goal against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night; however, since it’s a Spanish Supercup tie, Kepa might get a chance. It’s thought that Ancelotti hasn’t made up his mind about the two because the Italian manager remained reticent on Tuesday over the matter. The study does note, though, that given his recent strong results, Lunin currently has a tiny advantage.
In either case, this spell will turn out to be a godsend for Real Madrid. Next summer, they may assess whether Kepa is a player worth trying to acquire outright, and Lunin, who still has 18 months left on his contract, can either show Real Madrid how valuable he is or raise his market value. Both are performing well; it will be interesting to observe how they deal with each other when they are not.