Real Madrid are gearing up to face Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, and manager Alvaro Arbeloa continues to show that he is not afraid to give young players a chance in any game.
Thiago Pitarch and Miguel Angel played key roles in the first leg, and over the weekend, Dani Yanez impressed and grabbed an assist in a massive La Liga win over Elche.
Now, according to a report from MARCA, one more talented youth player is going to make his first team appearance under Arbeloa for the Man City game, 18 year old center back Mario Rivas.
Arbeloa has called Rivas up to the first team for Man City with young center back Rau Asencio, another recent youth academy success, still out injured due to muscular issues.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.