Did you follow Real Madrid-Manchester City last night? No ? We strongly advise you to take a look at the highlights. There’s a good chance that two thirds of the footage will be devoted to Jérémy Doku, who gave Fede Valverde a hard time.
Jérémy Doku neither scored nor provided an assist in Manchester City’s 1-2 win at the Bernabéu, but he was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch. Fede Valverde has rarely been dribbled and passed in his career like he was last night. His frustration was palpable and he even tried to provoke Doku to destabilize him.
Jérémy Doku is untouchable
Even assisted by Asencio, Valverde could do nothing: Doku won the match in the match with his head held high. Mentally, he became untouchable, thanks to the advice of Pep Guardiola. No psychological game can take him out of a match anymore: the Spanish coach has instilled in him that he is the best.
And this is not just encouragement: Doku is today one of the best left wingers in Europe. Few analysts would dare to contradict this observation. Rarely does a player exhaust an opposing team so much, create space for his teammates and become decisive through his presence alone.
He could still increase his number of goals, but as long as he mobilizes the opposition more than, say, O’Reilly at City, his role is fulfilled. The left back scored the first goal yesterday and is benefiting from Doku’s wear and tear in front of him, just like in the Premier League.
Jérémy Doku, the key to the Devils at the World Cup
Today’s Doku will have to shine at the next World Cup. While we often talk about the “Big Three” of the Red Devils, it would be unfair not to include Doku in this discussion. More than Lukaku, De Bruyne or Courtois, his name is now on everyone’s lips in Europe.
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At the age of 23, he gradually reached the top of his art. He may never be the most statistically efficient, but the right backs of the big nations are already scrutinizing his performances, wondering: “How are we going to stop him?”
For defenders of Iran or New Zealand, this is certainly no relief. If the Red Devils want to achieve anything at the World Cup, a lot of it will depend on Doku’s form and how much freedom Rudi Garcia gives him. He must be able to deploy all his speed and all his creativity.
