Álvaro Arbeloa is not blinking. With Real Madrid staring down a 2-1 deficit and an away trip to the fearsome Allianz Arena looming, the Spanish boss has made a decision that will divide the fanbase—and 20-year-old Thiago Pitarch is right at the center of it.
Sources at Spanish radio giant COPE confirmed on Saturday that Pitarch will start in the middle for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich. Arbeloa’s statement of faith is a stunning show of trust in one of the most exciting young players to emerge from the Real Madrid academy in years. Sources at Spanish radio giant COPE confirmed on Saturday that Pitarch is set to start in midfield for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich. It’s a statement of faith from Arbeloa—and a stunning show of trust in one of the most exciting young talents to emerge from the Real Madrid academy in years.
The coach has chosen a diamond midfield that looks great on paper: Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler, Thiago Pitarch, and Fede Valverde. It is known that Pitarch will play the defensive pivot role, which is the screening six in front of the back four. Güler will play the creative tenth role behind the forwards.
It’s a brave choice. Especially after Pitarch was exposed in the first leg, when he was clearly overwhelmed by Bayern’s strong and experienced midfielders at the Santiago Bernabéu. People are already preparing to attack, and many fans are wondering why Aurélien Tchouaméni, who has Champions League experience, is being left on the bench in favor of the younger player.
But Arbeloa has seen something that others haven’t. The coach has publicly said that Pitarch has become more important this season, calling the teenage midfielder “one of his major bets.” In the Round of 16 against Manchester City, the young player’s smart covering and relentless pressing drew widespread praise, and Arbeloa hasn’t forgotten it.
You can’t tell the story of this second leg without Jude Bellingham. The England international missed the first leg because of a long injury absence of 67 days, but he is now fully fit and ready to start in Munich. Bellingham and Valverde are expected to be the engine and the heartbeat of the team, the players who always step up their game when the stakes are highest in the Champions League.
Real Madrid needs to score at least two goals at the Allianz Arena and not let any in. This is a big ask against any Bayern team, especially one that is playing at home. Arbeloa’s bet on Pitarch, along with the return of Bellingham, could either be a stroke of genius or a stroke of madness by Wednesday night.
One thing is for sure: Thiago Pitarch is no longer a secret. The lights are on, and the stage is set. When the whistle blows in Munich, everyone will be watching the boy from the academy.
