Second-placed Real Madrid will look for their 20th league win when they host 12th-placed Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Real Madrid are 11 points behind league leaders Barcelona ahead of the game against Celta Vigo. While the lead is quite big considering the number of games left, Los Blancos do have an outside chance and will look to keep the hopes alive with a win over Celta Vigo. Meanwhile, the visitors will look to return to winning ways after being winless in their last three league fixtures.
Real Madrid have advanced to the Champions League semi-finals after defeating Chelsea in the quarter-finals. The Spanish giants are also set to compete in the final of the Copa del Rey next month against Osasuna.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos are currently 11 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, and only a significant collapse from the leaders would allow the reigning champions to enter the title race. The Madrid-based club are not in any real danger of dropping out of the top four, sitting 14 points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis, but they are only two points ahead of Atletico Madrid in third.
It remains to be seen how Carlo Ancelotti treats the upcoming league matches as the Italian manager will likely focus on the Copa del Rey and Champions League. Real Madrid have the second-best home form in La Liga this season, picking up 31 points from 14 matches, and will be hosting Celta Vigo in their next league fixture.
Meanwhile, Celta Vigo have had a relatively solid campaign, currently sitting in 12th position in the table with 36 points from 29 matches. The Sky Blues are nine points ahead of the relegation zone and only two points behind Girona in ninth, indicating that they should be aiming to move up the division.
Celta have finished eighth and 11th in their last two top-flight campaigns and will be looking to achieve a similar feat this season. However, the visitors have struggled in their recent meetings with Real Madrid, losing each of their last five La Liga games.
Their last league success over Real Madrid was back in May 2014. But they did manage to claim a point in a 2-2 draw at Bernabeu during the 2019-20 campaign. The Sky Blues will be entering the game against Los Blancos after a 1-0 home loss to Mallorca, making it three league matches without a victory for the Vigo outfit.
Last time around when the two teams met in the reverse fixture, Real Madrid came out on top with a 4-1 win. And, they will be expecting to produce a similar result. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of Ferland Mendy. And joining him on the sidelines is David Alaba. The Austrian defender was subbed off at half-time in their last outing against Chelsea due to a tight hamstring. While Benzema was also subbed off after picking a knock, he is expected to be back in the starting XI.
🟧 @Lucasvazquez91 ⚔️ @vinijr 🟪#RMCity pic.twitter.com/gcl8N1p3rW
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 21, 2023
The Real Madrid boss is expected to start with the 4-3-3 formation where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Nacho and Lucas Vazquez should be the full-backs for this fixture. Meanwhile, Eder Militao should pair up with Antonio Rudiger in the heart of the defence.
As far as the midfield is concerned, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric might start on the bench. And, the trio of Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni will link up in the middle of the park. Tchouaméni will feature in the holding role in this fixture.
In attack, Marco Asensio should start on the right wing while Rodrdyo who has played majorly on the right could get a rare start on the left flank. Meanwhile, Karim Benzema should be leading the lines.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Asensio, Benzema, Rodrygo
Celta Vigo
The visitors will be without the services of Diego Alves and Oscar Mingueza for this away fixture. Meanwhile, Hugo Mallo will miss this match through suspension.
Un partido para soñar y disfrutar 💭💙
¡Vamos, @carloscarvalha2! 💪#RealMadridCelta #LaLiga pic.twitter.com/xKjWoIjQ6o
— RC Celta (@RCCelta) April 21, 2023
Carlos Carvalhal should start with the 4-4-2 formation where Iván Villar will take the gloves. Kevin Vazquez and Javi Galan could start out wide as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Joseph Aidoo will pair up with Unai Nunez.
The midfield four will see Carles Perez and Luca de la Torre star on the flanks as they look to provide the width. Gabri Veiga, a target for Real Madrid, and Fran Beltran should be the central midfielders.
As far as the attack is concerned the veteran striker Iago Aspas will pair up with 28-year-old Goncalo Paciencia. The duo will look to make life difficult for the Madrid defence who have found themselves in difficult situations in the ongoing season.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Villar; Vazquez, Aidoo, Nunez, Galan; Perez, Veiga, Beltran, De la Torre; Aspas, Paciencia
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have dominated Celta Vigo in recent history, winning 27 out of the last 39 matches played between the two teams in La Liga. On the other hand, Celta Vigo has only managed to secure seven victories in this period.
- Celta Vigo have been unable to defeat Real Madrid in their last 17 encounters in La Liga. The last time Madrid lost to the visitors was in 2014.
- Celta Vigo have kept a clean sheet against Real Madrid once in their 56 away matches in La Liga.
- Los Blancos have won their last five La Liga matches against Celta Vigo.
- Real Madrid have been unbeaten in 17 games at home before their loss to Villarreal last week.
Player to Watch
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema’s record for Real Madrid is nothing short of extraordinary. Despite not scoring against Chelsea in the Champions League, Benzema has been in excellent form in La Liga this season. He has scored 14 goals and 3 assists in 19 appearances.
The French forward is a lethal finisher who has the ability to create his own chances and score from a variety of positions on the pitch. Benzema is likely to have plenty of opportunities to score in any given match. With Real Madrid still in contention for multiple trophies this season, Benzema will be highly motivated to continue his impressive form and help his team achieve success on all fronts.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-0 Celta Vigo
Real Madrid have won each of their last five La Liga games against Celta Vigo. The Merengues have an excellent home record this season, and they will be hosting a Celta side that have struggled for form recently, with no victories in their last three league matches.
While Celta Vigo have the quality to cause an upset, it is unlikely that they will be able to stop a dominant Real Madrid side. Overall, the odds are in favour of Los Blancos, and The Hard Tackle predicts a comfortable 3-0 win over the visitors.
