Valverde confirms that he should be a starter Real Madrid Carlos Carpio's opinion

It looks like Jose Mourinho's return is going to have to wait. Either because several veterans feared his imminent arrival and all that entails or because this time they listened to their coach and showed an attention in the match against Galatasaray that they didn't show away to Real Mallorca.

The truth is that Real Madrid saved a situation that was bordering on a total crisis. Had they have lost in Istanbul and looked like they were about to be eliminated in the Champions League group stages, that would be an unforgivable stain on the history of Europe's most successful team.

The best thing is that they left the match against Galatasaray with all three points, a small scoreline but deserved. The days of Real Madrid winning without deserving to do so are gone, with Cristiano Ronaldo no longer in the side to bail them out.

Instead, Los Blancos' faithful are waiting for Eden Hazard to truly emerge. The Belgian had a chance to open his Champions League account for Real Madrid, yet after taking the ball around goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, his effort cannoned back out off the crossbar.

Aside from the result, the other great news came with the performance of Fede Valverde, who surely has an assured place in the starting line-up from now on. Sorry, I should have said that as long as Zinedine Zidane sticks to meritocracy rather than politics when picking his team.

With Luka Modric coming towards the end of his career, Valverde's energy is a holy water for a team that became used to playing slower. His physicality, the vast areas of the pitch he covers, his generosity and the speed he shows, with or without the ball, makes him indispensable.

Every opportunity that Zidane gives Valverde is taken by the Uruguayan and he seems to have emerged as the midfielder Real Madrid were looking for. He adds drive and ambition, something that hasn't been regular from Los Blancos' midfield.