All hail our French Giraffa / Mr. Clean!
Click to view(There were a couple of you who wanted to see a YouTube compilation of Varane vs. Barcelona, and a YouTube video maker has answered our calls!)
The mothership (aka the Real Madrid official website) has posted this lovely compilation article of international press outlets praising our 19-year-old defender, and you can read it here. (It makes me cry tbh.)
But my favourite article is probably this one from ESPN, which I have included a portion under the cut. I feel like a proud mother - people finally know who you are ;___;
Varane rises to the top in Clasico
Arise, Sir Raphael.
A new star was born at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night as Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal clash. Not a 'new Ronaldo' or a 'new Messi', but a defensive rock who stole the show in his first ever Clasico appearance - 19-year-old Raphael Varane. If clearances off the line and superb last-ditch tackles were not enough to earn the Frenchman all the plaudits from a thrilling match, his 81st minute equaliser, that gives Madrid every chance of progression, certainly did.
Varane, a centre-back, should not be the type of player lauded in a Clasico match. That is usually reserved for attacking flair, such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. When defenders grab the headlines in matches between the old foes, it's usually for all the wrong reasons, such as Pepe losing his head and plowing through his Catalan opponents or defenders, or indeed goalkeepers (see Victor Valdes), for making errors at the back. Not this time, not with the supreme talent that former Lens man Varane showed throughout the 90 minutes in a pulsating first leg in the Spanish capital.
His performance was a near faultless one. Madrid played well in the first half, playing a high-pressure, intense game, but Varane was the only player not to give the ball away. His passing from the back was superb, being the most accurate of any Madrid player on the night. It was crisp and controlled and looked like that of a seasoned, world-class professional.
When he wasn't passing, he was tackling, and doing it pretty darn well. The highlight was a brilliant challenge to deny Cesc Fabregas what would have made it 2-0 to Barcelona in the second half. He hauled back ten yards on the Barca goalscorer and produced a superbly-timed tackle to keep his side in the game. Ditto in the first half when he anticipated Xavi's shot towards an open goal and cleared the danger off the line. With some fearing that the art of tackling is dying, tonight Varane dispelled those fears.
His pace is frightening, as Messi and his teammates found out a number of times. The Bernabeu rose to applaud the jet-heeled centre-back when he whisked by Messi and cleared the danger to end one such Barca attack. He doesn't just have physical pace, he has mental pace too. A quick thinker, a step ahead of his teammates and a step ahead of his opponents too. Not many players can claim to have the world's best, in Messi, in their back pocket. Varane couldn't quite claim that accolade, but he was very close. Messi knew it.
All this at the tender age of 19 and in his first Clasico match. A match heaped in pressure. All this with a makeshift Madrid defence lining up against arguably the best attack in the world. The experienced Sergio Ramos suspended and both Pepe and Marcelo out injured -- the latter only fit enough for the bench. A regular midfielder Michael Essien plugging the gap at right back (and doing it pretty well), while regular right back Alvaro Arbeloa moved to the left. Ricardo Carvalho, who probably didn't expect to feature at all for Madrid this season, had a pretty dour game alongside the youngster.
It was tough for Varane, especially with the errors from his more experienced Portuguese centre-back partner. It was Carvalho's error that allowed Fabregas to steal the ball inside the penalty area in the first half and saw Varane race back to hack Xavi's shot off the line. The former Chelsea man had a torrid time all night and he could have seen red had the referee spotted a handball with Messi through on goal just minutes before Varane struck the leveller. Good thing for Carvalho he had the young, less experienced Frenchman clearing up his mess.
At the other end of the pitch, his goal was a bullet. Good movement inside the box and a towering leap to beat three Barcelona defenders to the ball and rifle his header into the back of the net. It was what Madrid deserved in an entertaining and even Clasico.
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