Real Madrid: Yan Diomandé impresses José Mourinho

Yan Diomandé registered his first assist for Real Madrid, confirming his increasingly rapid integration under José Mourinho.

Yan Diomandé is beginning to live up to the immense expectations placed on him since his arrival at Real Madrid. Already in the starting lineup against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, the Ivorian winger again started on Tuesday at Elche, where Los Blancos snatched a spectacular 3-2 victory. This second consecutive start was accompanied by his first assist in the white shirt.

Diomandé sets up Mbappé and makes his mark

In the 33rd minute, the 19-year-old accelerated down the right before delivering a perfectly weighted low cross to Kylian Mbappé, who scored Madrid’s second goal. Diomandé also made a difference throughout the match, completing seven dribbles and making eleven progressive runs. He stayed on the pitch until stoppage time and produced his most complete performance since his transfer.

José Mourinho made no secret of his satisfaction: « Il progresse. Physiquement, on voit qu’il commence à avoir davantage de minutes dans les jambes. Il possède une très bonne capacité de travail, il est intelligent et il a fait un grand match. » After making his first four appearances as a substitute and playing just 83 minutes in total, Diomandé has now started two matches in a row.

This rise was expected from a recruit under contract until June 2033 who was signed for approximately €125 million, excluding bonuses. Last season, the Ivorian scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in 33 Bundesliga appearances for Leipzig. His speed, measured at up to 36.3 km/h, and his ability to beat opponents explain Madrid’s investment.

Yan Diomandé expected with Côte d’Ivoire

This progress comes at the perfect time. Diomandé has been called up by Hervé Renard for Ivory Coast’s next training camp. The French coach, who recently called for patience regarding his integration at Real Madrid, will be reunited with a winger who is now up and running.

The international window, extended from September 21 to October 6, allows each African national team to play up to four matches. However, the schedule currently set for the Elephants includes three: Ghana on September 24 and Somalia on September 29 in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, followed by Cameroon in a friendly on October 3. Another opportunity for Diomandé to maintain his momentum and arrive at Real definitively up and running.

Read also : AFCON 2025: CAS sets first hearing in Morocco-Senegal dispute

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

Related teams and leagues

Real Madrid

Ivory Coast