James Rodriguez was part of the line-up put together by Zinedine Zidane at the Reale Arena. He played his first league match since October, against Mallorca, when he played his last minutes in the league.
With his place in the starting line-up against Real Sociedad, James Rodriguez made hi 9th appearance in the starting XI this year. Until now, the Colombian had had a place in four LaLiga matches, one in the Champions League, and three in the Copa del Rey.
He had not figured as a starter in the domestic tournament since that 1-0 loss against Mallorca, back in October 2019, which cost more than one player their place in Zidane's team. James, along with Jovic or Odriozola, among others, did not come out well from the defeat. In fact, the '16' did not return to play in the league until this Sunday, as he only participated in Copa del Rey or Supercopa matches.
That's why the inclusion of the Real Madrid footballer in the team of attracted a lot attention. But it was even more strange because it was the most difficult and important match until now. The leadership was at stake, and Zidane decided that it was time to give him a much-needed boost of confidence.
He played until the 78 minutes. In that time, the Colombian performed accordingly, although he lacked some creativity and spark in the final third.
James occupied the right side of the midfield. This role was far from offensive, as it made him work a lot in defensive tasks.
Zidane noticed the blocking and wanted to swap Valverde with the Colombian. He moved to a more central position and helped the team out of the box. But the circumstances of the match prevented him from roaming the area and giving his left foot freedom.
With 78 minutes added, James has already accumulated 729 in the 14 official matches he has played with Real Madrid. One goal and two assists are his offensive background.