There is a paradoxical situation in the Madrid club: Éder Militão and David Alaba, despite recovering from serious injuries, have not appeared together in the starting lineup as central defenders for more than two years. Both players are now available to the coaching staff again, but their joint appearance on the field remains elusive.
The Militão-Alaba duo originally made their debut in August 2021, when the team claimed victory and kept a clean sheet. That season, they played together in 38 out of a possible 56 matches, accounting for 68% of all games. During this period, Madrid recorded 28 wins, five draws, and five losses. With them in central defense, the team kept 17 clean sheets and conceded a total of 28 goals. Throughout their time playing together, Madrid were behind on the scoreboard for only 415 minutes out of 3,420, reflecting the reliability of this partnership.
After Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane left in the summer of 2021, the club was forced to urgently rebuild its defense. The signing of Alaba and faith in Militão paid off: their partnership became a key factor in the team’s success, especially in the season when they claimed their fourteenth Champions League title in Paris.
However, the following season saw a shift. Injuries, especially for Alaba, limited their combined appearances to just 17 matches. Despite this, the team won 15 of those games, with only two losses. The team kept clean sheets in six matches.
The 2023/24 season was a real test for the duo. In the very first round, Militão suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury, and later a series of setbacks prevented both defenders from returning to the pitch together. The Brazilian underwent two recoveries from ligament ruptures, while the Austrian had three knee surgeries and several muscle injuries. Both players admitted that returning to their previous form was far from easy.
Today, both defenders are once again ready to play, but new obstacles have emerged. Militão has regained his status as a starter, while Alaba is now fourth in the center-back hierarchy, even behind the young Asensio. Recently, the Austrian was given a chance in the Champions League match against Kairat, but at that time Militão was absent due to another injury. Thus, fate continues to keep them apart on the field, preventing the reformation of their once formidable partnership. Nevertheless, the fans and coaching staff remember their triumph in Paris and still hope to see them reunite.
