Yan Diomande answers Real Madrid critics with first goal contribution

Yan Diomande responded to criticism over his slow start at Real Madrid by providing his first goal contribution for the club in Tuesday’s 3-? La Liga match against Elche.

The Ivory Coast international delivered an important assist in the sixth round of the Spanish league, sending a dangerous cross into the area in the 33rd minute for Kylian Mbappe to convert.

The match marked Diomande’s second consecutive start for Real Madrid, having initially struggled to establish himself in the team since his arrival from RB Leipzig last summer.

Diomande joined Real Madrid in a record transfer reported to have cost the club about 140 million euros, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

The size of the fee prompted controversy in Spain, particularly because manager Jose Mourinho was slow to select the player regularly. Diomande had also failed to produce the expected performances in his first six appearances, most of which came from the substitutes’ bench.

His early difficulties led to comparisons with Karim Adeyemi, who joined Barcelona for 22 million euros. Adeyemi had contributed to four goals in his first six matches, while both players had moved from the Bundesliga to Spain’s two Clasico rivals during the same period.

Diomande’s assist against Elche came after 200 minutes of football for Real Madrid, spread across seven appearances. Those matches included one Champions League fixture against Inter Milan and six La Liga games, with the total calculated before the goal against Elche.