Why Real Madrid Must Continue to Show Faith in Rising Star Borja Mayoral

It was late on a peculiar Wednesday night, and Zinedine Zidane walked into the press room at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia. What he'd seen hadn't been great—it might have even bordered on troubling—but amid the laborious, down-gearing feel of it all, there had been some shoots of encouragement. 

Against Levante, Lucas Vazquez had started on the wing for Real Madrid and had stood out. In midfield, Casemiro had done something similar. At the back, Nacho had started, too, and on the bench were Jese, Martin Odegaard, Marcos Llorente and Alvaro Tejero. 

Up front, meanwhile, the 18-year-old Borja Mayoral had led the attack. And scored. Well, sort of. 

This was a Real Madrid outfit young and raw, stripped of its star-led identity and packed with "canteranos"—the sole focus in the press room. 

"What we want is to get them out there," said Zidane of their inclusion. "Not because they are from the youth setup but because they will give their all." On the back of more despair in another Madrid derby, the talk of work ethic, hunger and commitment was significant. Zidane was putting confidence in those who aren't always shown it at Madrid, championing their cause. 

As for Mayoral? "Mayoral is the second-choice striker," asserted Zidane.

Bold. 

Only three days later, Real Madrid met Celta Vigo at the Bernabeu. In the continued absence of Karim Benzema, Mayoral started again. Madrid, still seemingly in a funk, began slowly but then exploded in the second half. They won 7-1. But not everyone was happy. 

"It's completely unbalanced," said former Real Madrid manager Bernd Schuster while on commentary duty with Onda Cero (h/t Marca). "It's ridiculous that if [Benzema] can't play, Mayoral has to stand in for him."

The sentiment Schuster expressed was understandable; between a world-class centre-forward and an academy player, a significant gulf exists. And yet being in opposition to it is to take a sort of illogical position of idealism, ignoring a new set of realities. 

In existence at Real Madrid and Barcelona at present are two of the most powerful attacking trios ever assembled. In an era of vast financial imbalances, two clubs have been able to acquire six of the world's best 10 forwards—you could probably argue six of the best seven or eight—at a colossal cost thanks to unprecedented revenue streams. 

The results in both cases have been profound, but behind both trios a common issue has arisen. 

When the heavy hitters are available, they start. No exceptions. These collections of stars carry immense power and authority, their hold over their positions totally unquestioned from within. It pushes others to the fringes, to insignificance. At Real Madrid, Javier Hernandez found that out; at Barcelona, so did Pedro. Both are now gone. 

This is the reality: Established professionals aren't willing to be three-or-four-game-per-season back-ups. You're not going to lure a 20-goal-a-year striker to play second fiddle to the unbudgeable Benzema; a seasoned international is not going to sit inactive behind Luis Suarez. 

If you're going to have front threes like these, the gulf to the supporting cast will be large.

At Barcelona, Munir el Haddadi backs up Suarez. In Mayoral, Real Madrid have a very suitable candidate to do the same job behind Benzema. 

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Youthful, eager, wanting to learn and with time on his side, Mayoral is a low-fuss secondary option for Zidane. Though not there yet, he looks to have the talent to reach the necessary level, while his presence doesn't create selection headaches. Or rifts. Or cravings that Zidane is under pressure to satisfy.  

"I'm here to help, but my team are Castilla," said Mayoral after starting against Levante. "This is Real Madrid. If I'm needed in the Youth League, I'll drop back down to Castilla, and if Zidane needs me I'll enjoy that too."

It's not just his willingness to perform such a function that's appealing, though. It's the fact he's an academy product, a potential symbol, a possible reference point. 

And that he can seriously play, too.

In late February, Mayoral grabbed the attention of the Spanish capital with a sizzling slalom and goal against Manchester City in the UEFA Youth League that was emblematic of his skill set: quick feet, balance, speed and strong finishing. 

"Mayoral strikes Man City down 'a la Messi'," proclaimed Marca. "The future of Real Madrid," it added. 

"To be an elite forward," we noted here at Bleacher Report, "you must have the instinct for it—that innate understanding of where to be, when to be there and how to get there. Mayoral looks like he has it." 

Only days after his stunning strike, the teenager was included in Zidane's squad for the Madrid derby. Halfway through it, he was on the pitch. Within a week, he'd been involved in his first senior goal, his strike after a neat touch and turn hitting the post before bouncing in off the back of Levante goalkeeper Diego Marino. 

"I told the ref to give me the goal," he joked afterward. You wouldn't have begrudged him if he'd been given it. Nor if he continues to earn minutes here, a start there. 

An emerging star, a youth product, malleable and a very suitable back-up: Mayoral is one to show faith in.

Follow @TimDCollins