Bernabéu Stadium: Has the number 7 shirt found its right owner?

One thing is for sure,At Real Madrid, the number 7 is not simply "just a shirt number". That is the shirt number that Cristiano Ronaldo has worn for 8 years, in the 9 years he joined Real Madrid, the first year he wore the number 9 shirt. Before that, that number was on the back of Raul Gonzalez for 16 years. Before Raul? Emilio Butragueno wore that shirt number for 12 years. The number 7 shirt at Real is the dream, the honor of any player and has a very special meaning.

Mariano started the season with 9 shots and 6 goals, an impressive number. Photo: Internet

25-year-old Mariano, whose father is from the Dominican Republic, was born in Catalonia. Like many other children, Mariano spent his childhood admiring the "alien" Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o, all stars of Barca. But his football career was tied to Catalonia's great rival. In 2011, Real brought him to play for the C team and Castilla from the Third Division club Badalona.

In the 2016/17 season, coach Zinedine Zidane gave him 14 appearances and scored 5 goals. At the end of that season, he was sold to Lyon for 8 million euros, with an option to buy the striker back for 23 million euros in the summer of 2018. Last season, he scored 21 goals for Lyon, with a shooting accuracy of 58%. In all competitions, he had 132 shots, 60 of which were on target.

In fact, Lyon had planned to sell Mariano to Sevilla for 35 million euros, but coach Lopetegui decided to bring him back to Madrid after Ronaldo moved to Juventus. The return to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium with his killer ability with a low-touch style of play made Real fans ecstatic. If before, in the 2016/2017 season, Mariano had a total of 8 shots, 5 of which were goals, now that number has changed to 9 shots and 6 goals, a very impressive number.

According to90 min, if Mariano is lucky, the number of goals is even higher. In the 2017/18 season, he was denied by the crossbar 7 times. That achievement is even more than Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane, the "unluckiest" person in the Premier League last year with 6 times hitting the crossbar or post.

His 9th goal in the 3-0 win over AS Roma was his first in the Champions League. Real Madrid's No. 7 Mariano Diaz has a respectable goal-scoring ratio with his shots.NewspaperASStatistics show that Mariano scores every 54 minutes for the Madrid representative. So far, the Dominican striker has only played 342 minutes. Mariano's direct, quick attacking style seems to be very suitable for the style of play that Lopetegui is applying to Real. Number 7 Mariano plays like a real killer in the penalty area, making much better use of the opportunities created by the midfield. This is something that Karim Benzema, after many years of serving Cristiano Ronaldo, has lost the scoring touch of a true striker.

Watching Mariano warm up on the sidelines, fans suddenly remembered Hugo Sanchez, the Real player who scored 38 goals in a La Liga season, all with just one-touch shots. Not flashy, but extremely effective. Gerald Baticle, Lyon's assistant coach, commented: "When he has the ball at his feet, unlike everyone else who looks for an address to pass the ball, Mariano's first thought is to find a shooting angle."

Mariano maintains his form in the "White Vulture" shirt. Photo: Internet

He scored a goal for the national team against Haiti U21 in March 2013. But he decided not to play for the CONCACAF team, hoping to play for Spain. If Mariano maintains his current form for the "White Vultures", that day will not be far away.

It is too early to say that Real's current number 7 can be compared to the "legendary number 7s of the Bernabéu" such as Butragueno, Raul Gonzalez or most recently Cristiano Ronaldo. But Mariano's long-range shooting rate is gradually bringing confidence to Madridista. One thing is for sure, coach Lopetegui will consider carefully when choosing Mariano or Lucas Vazquez, Karim Benzema, whenever Real is stuck and needs a goal.