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#3 Casemiro
In the absence of Modric and Kroos in the Real Madrid midfield, Casemiro has been a real leader. He's given a lot of confidence to the likes of Camavinga and Fede Valverde and his assuring presence has provided a cushion to the backline as always.
The Brazilian has made 11 appearances for Real Madrid in La Liga and completed 90 mins nine times. He played the most passes from the team into the final third, a total of 61. Casemiro recently played is 300th game for Los Blancos and for half a decade, he has been a formidable player.
He has completed a total of 531 passes and played 116 long balls in La Liga this term. Whenever the Brazilian goes through a patch of bad form, the team has visibly suffered, but thankfully for Real Madrid those days have been very few in number.
The 29-year old has signed a long-term contract that will keep him with the Spanish giants until 2025.
#2 David Alaba
Los Blancos had to do one of the most difficult things as far as the transfer business was concerned this summer. The ever-so-successful and solid pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane left the club for PSG and Manchester United respectively.
Real Madrid had to ensure that their successors were as good as them if not better. In comes David Alaba from Bayern Munich and he's not put a foot wrong since wearing that white jersey.
His versatality has seen him deployed both as a centre-back and left-back and he's nailed both roles. Alaba's passing has been decisive and progressive, helping the team stay on the front foot.
He played 50 passes into the final third, the third most by any defender in La Liga this season. The Austrian has also played 87 long balls and has only missed one game for Ancelotti's side this season.
He has attempted a total of 704 passes of which 634 have successfully found its recipient. Alaba scored on his El Clasico debut in Barcelona's 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid. He has also provided three assists in La Liga.
#1 Eder Militao
Real Madrid had some sense of security concerning the absence of Sergio Ramos last season, with Eder Militao deputizing for their captain to great effect. This season he has had to step up to play regularly, anchoring the backline and contributing to Real Madrid's faster transitions.
The Brazilian has not missed a single game for Los Blancos this season and is the best passer in their team. One would think that Militao, being a defender, plays a lot of passes with the back-line but he's driven upwards, played into the midfield and final third as well.
He has played the maximum number of long passes in the Real Madrid team (126) and has been crucial in building the play from the back. His strong mentality is visible when the Spanish giants have been pipped against top-quality opposition.
Los Blancos are rumored to be preparing a new long-term contract for their centre-back and he completely deserves it.
