In the warm-up match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, newly signed German defender Rudiger was given the responsibility of playing as a left back while Alaba played as a center back. Manager Carlo Ancelotti recognized the new tactic and was confident in Rudiger's performance in his new position.
Despite Real Madrid's 0-1 defeat to Barcelona in the warm-up match, Ancelotti revealed after the match that Rudiger will be a frequent left-back in Real Madrid's future, praising, "I have full confidence in Rudiger, I'm not biased because he's very intelligent and fully capable of adapting to his new role, even swapping places with Alaba if necessary, but I don't intend at the moment to change the center-back of last season's partnership."
Last season, Real Madrid managed to win the La Liga and UEFA Champions League double, when Marcelo was still in the side, and Alaba was guarding the middle of the field with Aidamilundao. However, after Marcelo's retirement, the left side was often exposed, so Ancelotti plans to play Rudiger as a left back to fill the gap left by Marcelo.
