Carvajal's battle with Alexander-Arnold could spur Madrid to glory

Dani Carvajal's quest to go the top footballer successful the 61-year past of the European Cup and UEFA Champions League begins this week.

Not Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Clarence Seedorf, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Karim Benzema, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Müller, Sergio Ramos oregon Paolo Maldini.

No, Dani Carvajal; the locally calved kid with the warrior nature, a bull begetter and the younker squad "Mirlo" -- the nickname fixed to promising Real Madrid younker prospects -- who Florentino Pérez chose to laic the archetypal ceramic of Madrid's Valdebebas Sports City (Training Complex) 21 years ago.

Carvajal is already tied with 2 of Los Blancos' finest-ever players -- Galician winger Paco Gento and Luka Modric -- arsenic the lone men ever to assistance this famous, iconic trophy six times.

However, lone Gento (1956-1966) and Carvajal (2014-2024) person been named successful the starting XI successful six European Cup/Champions League finals. Already monstrous achievements.

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The past clip Carvajal won the Champions League, helium scored against Borussia Dortmund successful the Wembley final, was antheral of the match, and told me: "To triumph my sixth Champions League is unimaginable. To participate this prime radical is unique.

"Since I was a young kid, I've ever played utilizing each my spot and my friends ever told me: 'Calm down, this isn't a Champions League match!'

"This represents the feeling of winning this trophy. There's thing much important you tin triumph portion playing with your club."

You tin sensation the exuberance, the tendency to bash it again, right?

If Carvajal, present steered by ex-Madrid and Spain teammate Xabi Alonso, tin assistance the "Cup With The Big Ears" successful Budapest connected May 30 adjacent year, past Dani Boy volition beryllium retired connected his own.

First amongst equals close now; 8 months and 15 matches distant from being unsocial connected apical of the all-time pantheon.

The quest (bench oregon successful the archetypal XI due to the fact that a definite double-barreled Liverpudlian wants to combat for the right-back berth) begins connected Tuesday against Marseille astatine the Santiago Bernabéu.

If not the cleanable "poetic" rival, past close.

Carvajal was calved halfway done the last-ever European Cup play (1991-92). The archetypal winners of the caller Champions League, controversially to accidental the slightest fixed their condemnation for home match-rigging, were the self-same Marseille.

In that aforesaid twelvemonth of his birth, Real Madrid weren't adjacent successful this contention (they lone played UEFA Cup oregon Cup Winner's Cup shot betwixt 1991 and 1995 ... and nary European shot astatine each successful 1996-97!)

When young Carvajal was born, Los Blancos had six Europe...