Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they host Valencia after dropping points in their last league outing.
Second-placed Real Madrid are all set to host eighth-placed Valencia in search of their tenth league win of the new season. Los Blancos were not at their best in their last league outing and they ended up dropping points. Meanwhile, the visitors will be confident of getting a positive result against Carlo Ancelotti’s team after having been unbeaten in their last five outings.
Real Madrid are currently second in La Liga with 29 points out of their 12 games. They have only lost once so far this season and have won nine of their league matches. They might not be dominating oppositions but they are getting it done somehow or the other.
The Merengues have been unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions. They are heading into this encounter against Valencia on the back of a 3-0 win over SC Braga in the UEFA Champions League. Their last league outing against Rayo Valecano might have ended in a draw. But Real Madrid will be confident of getting all three points against Valencia.
The visitors are currently eight in La Liga, with 18 points out of their 12 matches. They have won five, drawn three and lost four matches so far. They have had a decent start to the 2023/24 season, and a win over Los Blancos could be a great boost for the team.
Los Che are unbeaten in their last five outings and are heading into this encounter on the back of a 1-0 win against Granada. It was not their best performance, but they did manage to get the job done. Real Madrid will be a much tougher opposition but they will be confident of getting something out of this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use for this outing.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of Aurelien Tchouameni, Thibaut Courtois, and Eder Militao. On top of that, Kepa Arrizabalaga is also out because of the muscular problem that he picked up before the match against Braga.
Antonio Rudiger will miss this fixture because of a suspension, while Dani Ceballos is still a doubt despite having returned to training. Meanwhile, Arda Guler has picked up another injury that will keep him sidelines for the foreseeable future.
👨🍳 Let @ViniJr cook!#UCL pic.twitter.com/YPhzEJPAbO
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 10, 2023
Ancelotti will stick to the 4-4-2 formation with a diamond in the centre of the park. With Kepa out injured Andriy Lunin will continue in goal. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Nacho will pair up with David Alaba.
Eduardo Camavinga will be the defensive midfielder. He will have the support of Federico Valverde and Toni Kroos. The trio will look to control the possession of the ball and dictate the pace of the game.
Jude Bellingham will feature as the attacking midfielder. He will look to add to his tally of goals having had an excellent start to the new season. The England international will look to link up with the two Brazilian sensations Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes who will start up top as the forwards.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Nacho, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Valencia
Ruben Baraja will be without the services of Andre Almeida, Mouctar Diakhaby, Jesus Vazquez and Alberto Mari. Meanwhile, the availability of Selim Amallah is doubtful.
🔙 #TBT by @SegurosDivina
Javier Arizmendi's smart finish 🎯
🔬Get the lowdown on it here: https://t.co/B0furWrBsE#RealMadridValencia pic.twitter.com/98E9ui6mvi
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf_en) November 9, 2023
The visitors will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Giorgi Mamardashvili will be in goal. Thierry Correia and Jose Gaya will start as the full-backs. While the duo would love to join the attack, they will have to ensure they are there to help their centre-backs out against a star-studded Madrid attack.
In the heart of the defence, Cristhian Mosquera will pair up with Gabriel Paulista. The duo will look to keep a clean sheet against one of the best attacks in the division.
Fran Perez and Dimitri Foulquier will take charge out wide on the flanks in the centre of the park. Javi Guerra and Pepelu will start in more central roles. The duo will look to ensure they do allow the Real Madrid midfielders to dominate the proceedings.
In attack, Diego Lopez will look to provide the much-needed support to Hugo Duro. Duro will stay in a more central role, while Lopez will look to drift wide at every possible opportunity.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Mamardashvili; Correia, Mosquera, Paulista, Gaya; Perez, Pepelu, Guerra, Foulquier; Lopez, Duro
Key Stats
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last nine outings in all competitions.
- Los Blancos have the best defence in the league having conceded just eight goals so far.
- Valencia have been unbeaten in their last five outings.
- Jude Bellingham is the top scorer of the league, with ten goals to his name.
- Valencia’s Hugo Duro has seven goal contributions in the league.
Player to Watch
Federico Valverde
Valverde has been one of the most important players for Real Madrid over the past few years. And, in the ongoing season, he has been excellent for them. The Uruguayan international has featured in 16 matches and has been on the pitch for over 1,200 minutes.
But, he only has four goal contributions so far this season. While it might be because he no longer plays as a right winger, the 25-year-old will still be eager to get on the score sheet and contribute towards Real Madrid’s win. As a result, Valverde could be the difference between the two teams.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-1 Valencia
While Real Madrid have been getting the job done on most occasions in the ongoing season, they won’t find it easy against Valencia. The visitors have been unbeaten in their last five matches and they will surely be a tough test for Los Blancos.
However, Carlo Ancelotti’s team have way too much quality in their ranks and they are expected to come out on top eventually. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for the home team.
