Fede Valverde has shown that playing at right-back, despite not preferring the role, could be one of the secrets behind his brilliance with Real Madrid. An eye-catching display against Villarreal proved his appearance in that position is no exceptional case, but a choice capable of making the difference.
According to the Spanish newspaper "AS", Valverde started in midfield as part of a double pivot that never clicked alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni. José Mourinho decided to separate them. That step proved the source of strength.
The French and Uruguayan players delivered their best minutes at the same time. Fede looked unstoppable, and his decisive pass to Diomande in the goal sequence crowned a standout performance.
Shining at right-back as if created for the role, Valverde seems compatible with his innate abilities, even though the position is not his natural one.
As the break approached, Mourinho issued his first instructions. Arda Güler and Valverde switched positions, and the change was no one-off, repeated after the first half as Real Madrid began to regain their balance and produce a better performance.
The team grew sharper when Vinícius Júnior came on in the 52nd minute for Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Valverde moving to right-back. That was when his true revolution began.
Occupying a wide space on the right flank, Valverde set off to create the goal with a precise, scalpel-like pass.
His impact stretched beyond that moment. He finished the match with impressive numbers, as Real Madrid's leading chance creator with three chances level with Diomande. He also ranked second for successful passes in the final third, with 12, behind Arda Güler on 18.
Defensively, Valverde recorded four ball recoveries, two interceptions and one clearance, and succeeded with his only tackle. He won four of five duels and was not dribbled past once. An exceptional performance by any measure.
Getty ImagesNine full matches as a starter
Valverde's place in the starting line-up was never in doubt, on the field or in midfield. Only Thibaut Courtois and Kylian Mbappé have played more minutes, both on 810, while the Uruguayan has featured for 744 and started all nine matches.
Until the Villarreal clash, aside from a few limited experiments, his usual role had been the double pivot, alongside one player or another. He filled the same role through pre-season.
Mourinho had no reason to doubt that position. Then he took a decision that changed the course of the match, moving Valverde to the right flank, first as an inverted winger, then at right-back, which brought a clear shift in Real Madrid's performance.
The question remains whether Mourinho will treat this as a temporary fix or a lasting option.
Valverde had been candid about playing at right-back during a press conference in Almaty in September 2025, which produced some sharp lines. "I was not born to play at full-back, nor did I grow up learning to play in this position," he said. "I do not feel comfortable, because there are many things and abilities that I do not possess, such as defensive cover at the back."
He added that he puts himself "at the coach's disposal, in any position." Xabi Alonso was in charge at the time, but he was not the first to use Valverde there, and he will not be the last. The truth is that Valverde succeeds in the role, even if he does not prefer it.
30.5% of matches on the right flank
That is why every coach who has worked with Valverde has been keen to try him there, one after another. It began with Zinedine Zidane, before Carlo Ancelotti made use of his abilities out wide, turning him into one of the heroes of Real Madrid's fourteenth Champions League triumph after he created a goal for Vinícius Júnior.
Ancelotti also deployed him at right-back during periods of shortage, and even joked about it: "He is the third-best right-back in the world, after Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vázquez." Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa leaned on Valverde in the position too, and now Mourinho has done the same.
In total, Valverde has played 116 matches on the right flank at varying degrees of advancement, out of 381 in a Real Madrid shirt. That works out at 30.5% of his total appearances.
Among them, he has played 35 times at right-back, the position in which he showed his abilities once again against Villarreal.
From the recovery miracle to the irony of brilliance
Valverde arrived at the Villarreal clash after the major controversy that followed the derby, in the wake of a violent tackle by Kang In-lee. The challenge went unpunished but left the Uruguayan with an ankle sprain, depriving him of joining his national team during the international break.
Rather than travel with Uruguay, Valverde stayed at Valdebebas to complete his rehabilitation programme and worked hard away from the spotlight until he regained his fitness. At first, Real Madrid's medical staff thought he might make the Roma clash, while Villarreal looked more difficult. In the end, he returned.
He did not settle for merely playing. Valverde delivered a superb performance and shone remarkably, in a return that seemed close to a miracle before it turned into a precious gift for Real Madrid.
Decisive once again, and this time from right-back, the position he was not born to fill. The irony is that success can sometimes come from the most contradictory of situations.