The famous January slope has been a springboard for Mastantuono. The Argentine has once again enjoyed football with ease after leaving behind the suffering toll of a pubalgia that kept him out of action for a month. And he has done so when he was most needed, in the midst of a storm that threatened to wipe out any semblance of confidence at a collective level. With Madrid immersed in a changing and strange environment, Franco has turned the absences on his flank into a showcase from which to make a statement.
The first flash came at Albacete, where he pounced on a ball in the area to rediscover his goalscoring touch. It was not enough to avoid the debacle against a Segunda Division team, but he did his best on an individual level. Then came the match against Levante, where he came on in the second half with the scoreline blank and a hostile atmosphere towards the team. Whistles, criticism and an irascible crowd. He did not flinch. Along with Guler, he was one of the most exciting players in a 2-0 victory that Madrid desperately needed.
But it was against Monaco that Franco completed his revalidation. He started off in electric fashion, an earthquake unleashed on the right that reminded everyone why Real Madrid paid more than 60 million euros for him last summer. In the 55th minute he got his reward: a goal with his weaker foot that makes him the second youngest Argentine to score in the Champions League at 18 years and 159 days, only surpassed by Messi. It was not just the goal. He worked for the team, appeared in every attack, linked up well and showed a personality that Real Madrid fans recognize.
Because Mastantuono has shown in these weeks that patience can be a virtue when accompanied by talent and effort. He arrived from River Plate at the age of 18, aware that he would have to go through a period of adaptation to European football wearing the colours of another colossus, Real Madrid.
After his scoring baptism in the Champions League, Mastantuono also gave a lesson in self-criticism and personality in front of the microphones. “I’m neither the new Messi nor Real Madrid’s worst signing,” he said with maturity. He spoke clearly and concisely about the team’s mistakes and defended Vinicius from the whistles: “We’re not idiots, we know what we’re doing wrong. What happened with Vini is understandable, but it’s not fair that he’s the only one who gets booed.” There was also time for joking, explaining his return to the look with which he landed in Madrid and remembers Eminem: “I was slower and heavier with the other look, I get bored with my hair and we try things out,” he said.
January is proving to be the Argentine’s month. After taking advantage of the cracks, he is emerging as an outstanding student. The wait has paid off and talent has done the rest. The ups and downs of a difficult month for Madrid have served as a boost on the pitch. The next step is to confirm that the rest will be no different.
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