Real Madrid will be looking to make it five straight wins in all competitions when they take on fourth-tier Arandina in the Copa del Rey on Saturday evening.
Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey last season and are well placed to defend their crown as the strongest team in Spain at the moment ahead of the Round of 32 clash with Arandina.
The Merengues edged past a resilient RCD Mallorca 1-0 at the Bernabeu in their first match of 2024 to keep pace with Girona in the La Liga title race. Antonio Rudiger’s 79th-minute header was just about enough to earn Los Blancos all three points on an evening where they did not really deserve them after a fairly drab affair.
With that result, Real Madrid remain level on 48 points at the top of La Liga table with high-flying Girona, who beat Atletico Madrid 4-3 in a thrilling contest. Attentions now turn to Copa del Rey title defence as they aim to book their spot in the Last 16 of this season’s competition when they face fourth-tier outfit Arandina, who sit rock bottom in Group 1 of the Segunda Federacion, with only two league wins all campaign.
La Arandina were promoted from Tercera Federacion to Segunda Federacion last term. But it has been an uphill battle so far. Given their torrid form this season, it is impressive that Alex Izquierdo’s side are still alive at this stage of the Copa del Rey, and it is quite easily their best-ever performance in the competition.
Arandina defeated Real Murcia 1-0 in the first round before earning a La Liga scalp in the last round with a 2-1 win over Cadiz. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics the two teams could use.
Team News & Tactics
Arandina
Arandina have made headlines in the Copa del Rey so far this season. But, even against a heavily rotated Madrid side from midweek, the hosts face a Goliath-sized task in taking down the current trophy holders. As such, manager Alex Izquierdo could pick a lineup similar to the one that faced Cadiz in the previous round of the competition.
The formation will once again be 3-4-3, with Adrian Alvarez taking charge in goal behind the back-three of Jaime Marquez, Deiby Ochoa, and Jorge Pesca.
Haji Ceesay and Pepe Otu are expected to be the full-backs. Vitolo will start as the holding midfielder, and he will have the support of Zazu. Kevin Manzano and Ayoub El Battioui will start out wide as the wingers. Meanwhile, the leading goalscorer this season, Alfredo Sualdea, will get a start as their number nine.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Alvarez; Ochoa, Marquez, Pesca; Otu, Vitolo, Zazu, Ceesay; Manzano, Sualdea, El Battioui
Real Madrid
Real Madrid were handed a major boost this week as they welcomed back three of their injured players in the form of Dani Carvajal, Vinicius Jr., and Arda Guler. The trio were on the squad list for the game against Mallorca, with Carvajal and Vinicius even starting the match, although Guler did not get the chance to make his official debut.
They are set to be boosted by yet another return, as Eduardo Camavinga is expected to make his early return from injury during the upcoming clash against Arandina. But Lucas Vazquez is the latest absentee after picking up a hamstring injury.
Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, and David Alaba are long-term absentees for Los Blancos due to ACL injuries, while Ferland Mendy remains an injury doubt for the club. Carlo Ancelotti will make wholesale changes to his side for the weekend’s Copa del Rey Round of 32 clash against a fourth-tier outfit.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was dealing with an illness against Mallorca, could be drafted back into the side for this match. Fran Garcia is likely to retain his place at left-back, while Nacho could come back in defence after he missed the Mallorca win due to a suspension. 21-year-old centre-back Alvaro Carrillo could make his first appearance, with Vinicius Tobias completing the back four.
Ancelotti could hand a debut to Guler from the outset here, and the Turkish playmaker is expected to operate just behind the strike duo of Brahim Diaz and Joselu, while Nico Paz and Dani Ceballos are both set to earn starts in the engine room.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Kepa; Tobias, Nacho, Carrillo, Fran Garcia; Ceballos, Modric, Paz; Guler; Brahim, Joselu
Key Stats
- Real Madrid are the holders of this competition, beating Osasuna 2-1 in last year’s final to lift the Copa del Rey trophy for the 20th time in their history.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s side have won their last four matches in all competitions.
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last nine away matches in all competitions.
- Arandina have gone ten league games without a win.
- The hosts’ have collected just seven points from their eight league games so far this season.
Player to Watch
Arda Guler
Injuries and caution have delayed the young Turk’s Real Madrid debut, with Carlo Ancelotti emphasising the importance of patience after the Mallorca win. But this could be the ideal opportunity to finally bed Guler into his new surroundings.
Guler, who is predominantly left-footed but can also play on his right, is a joy to watch, with his creativity, ball striking, and attacking technical action attributes that stand out. He should be eyeing a feast of goals against the opposition in the lower division.
Prediction
Arandina 0-3 Real Madrid
Arandina’s previous scalps in this competition show they have all the character and desire needed for a massive upset in front of their 6,000-seater Estadio El Montecillo. However, their defence is going to be tested to the maximum on Saturday.
Even with a fair few absentees in his squad, the attacking quality of Real Madrid should be too much for their opponents, with La Liga leaders expected to go through comfortably.
