Karim Benzema should start but Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni could be on the bench when Real Madrid face Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Super Cup.
Real Madrid will be pushing for their first trophy of the 2022/23 campaign when they face off against Eintracht Frankfurt in Helsinki on Wednesday night with the UEFA Super Cup up for grabs.
Heading into the game, manager Carlo Ancelotti has no injury problems to deal with and has a fully fit squad to choose from. New signings Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni will be in contention for selection but Ancelotti has hinted that he will stick with the same lineup that defeated Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League finals last season.
Talking about his plans in the pre-match presser, the Italian said: “We’re here thanks to the job done by those who won the Champions League. We didn’t just win it with 11 players. Many of the players deserve to play, but I’m going to put out the side that won the Champions League final, with the old question mark about two or three of them (smiles).”
So, we can expect to see the same lineup that took the field against Liverpool in May in France, with Thibaut Courtois lining up between the sticks for Real Madrid on Wednesday night. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy remain the undisputed starters in the full-back slots on the right and left sides, respectively.
Rudiger will be pushing hard to start as a centre-back for Real Madrid against Eintracht Frankfurt. But the manager might stick with the pairing of Eder Militao and David Alaba, which brought the team so much success last season.
The midfield trifecta of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro should feature from the get-go for the Spanish capital club. However, they will be under pressure this season as the likes of Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde have made their case for more regular involvement going forward.
Karim Benzema, who has been appointed as the full-time captain following Marcelo’s departure, will lead the line for Real Madrid in Helsinki. Vinicius Junior, who was the Merengues’ match-winner against Liverpool in the Champions League final, should hold on to his spot on the left flank, while Valverde could get the nod on the right wing ahead of Rodrygo and Eden Hazard.
Real Madrid Predicted XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius.