Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed Aurelien Tchouameni's performance in his preferred midfield position, as Los Blancos beat Celta Vigo 5-2 in the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey on Thursday night.
The cup fixture needed extra-time, with the pair level at 2-2 at the end of 90 minutes, but Endrick netted twice, while Federico Valverde was also on the scoresheet, as the capital giants ran out 5-2 winners at Bernabeu to advance to the quarter-finals.
Tchouameni's performance was under the microscope amid the recent speculation surrounding the France international, with Real Madrid believed to be ready to sell him at the end of the campaign.,
The 24-year-old has recently struggled in the middle of the defence, but he was back in central midfield against Celta, and Ancelotti praised his display in his preferred spot on Thursday night.
"He is a player with character, he has returned to his position and has helped the team defensively. He has recovered many balls, helped the two central defenders, pressed well and got the ball to [Luka] Modric and [Dani] Ceballos," Ancelotti told reporters.
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Ancelotti hails Tchouameni amid speculation surrounding his future
Premier League clubs are believed to be on red alert for Tchouameni, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all said to be admirers of the former Monaco youngster.
Tchouameni has now made 24 appearances for Los Blancos this season, while he has represented the capital giants on 113 occasions in all competitions, scoring three goals and registering six assists in the process.
"When the game was almost done we gave away two goals and the game opened up. We played a good game until the 70th minute, we scored the third goal but it was offside. The team's reaction in extra time was good. In the end everything went well," said Ancelotti.
"We let our guard down for the second goal. We came out poorly from the back, with bad positioning and it allowed them back into the game. We train to avoid these kinds of mistakes.
"It's a wake-up call from the fans to the team and the coach. It is an acceptable wake-up call for what happened against Barcelona. Afterwards the team had a good reaction and especially Tchouameni, who had a great game. The Bernabeu whistled to give a wake-up call. When the match was tough, the fans drove us on and when that happens it's special for us."
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What's next for Real Madrid?
Real Madrid will resume their La Liga campaign against Las Palmas on Sunday afternoon, before welcoming Red Bull Salzburg to Bernabeu in the league phase of the Champions League next week.
The team's final league game of the month will come against Real Valladolid on January 25, before finishing their Champions League league-phase campaign with a trip to Brest on January 29.
Matt Law
