REAL MADRID: Ancelotti Impressed With Amazing Lucas Silva

Lucas Silva has taken a giant leap towards establishing himself as an important figure in Carlo Ancelotti's plans for the business end of the season. The Real Madrid manager gave his new signing a shot in the Champions League, which is no small fry, and the Brazilian didn't disappoint. He produced a composed, professional performance, hardly putting a foot wrong and coming out on top in the inevitable comparisons with Asier Illarramendi. So much so that the ex-Cruzeiro schemer may well have sewn up his place until Luka Modric returns.


Silva lined up to the right of Toni Kroos, whom Carlo Ancelotti has no intention of relieving of his duties as the team's linchpin. The 22-year-old showed he's no shrinking violet from the very first minute, regaining possession twice in the space of seconds. On the first occasion, he intercepted a pass from Dennis Aogo, and he followed that up by prevailing in an aerial duel with Marco Höger. He kept getting stuck in as the evening wore on, winning the ball back a further six times.

With Kroos pulling the strings, Lucas had a perfect platform to find his feet. While he began by playing it safe in possession - in fact, he contrived to use his favoured right foot for each of his first five passes, even though a couple of them would have been more natural to hit left-footed - he grew bolder after the interval, when Real were in the driving seat.

The Brazil under-21 international showed himself to be in good physical shape and, more importantly, demonstrated that he has chutzpah.