La Liga leaders Real Madrid are all set to square up against ninth-placed Valencia in search of their 21st league win of the season.
Valencia will look to return to winning ways when they host Real Madrid at home. They have not won in each of their last two outings and will aim for all three points against the league leaders, who have only lost one league game so far.
The home team are ninth with 36 points in their 25 games. While they have been inconsistent throughout the season, Valencia can still finish in a European spot as they are only six points behind Real Betis, who are currently sixth.
They are heading into this one on the back of a 0-0 draw against Sevilla on February 18 and have not been in action since. Despite creating a handful of chances, they could not come out on top and will be hoping they can put up a better performance in the final third against the best defence in the division.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are top of the table, with 65 points in 26 outings and have a six-point lead over second-placed Girona. They have dropped points on two out of their five matches and can’t really afford another slip-up.
Los Blancos are heading into this one on the back of a 1-0 win over Sevilla. Things were not really going according to plan for the team in white, but Luka Modric stepped up and scored to help them claim three important points. Carlo Ancelotti’s team will look for an improved performance in this away fixture. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Valencia
The home team will be without the services of Thierry Correia, while Diego Lopez’s availability is doubtful. Apart from the duo, everyone is fit for this outing.
Head coach Ruben Baraja will not be making major changes to the XI that started last time out against Sevilla. They will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Giorgi Mamardashvili will take charge in goal.
Dimitri Foulquier and Jose Gaya will be the two full-backs, while Mouctar Diakhaby and Cristhian Mosquera will feature in the heart of the defence. The backline will aim for a clean sheet against one of the best attacks in the competition.
Fran Perez and Javi Guerra will feature out wide on the flanks. They will look to provide width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Hugo Guillamon and Pepelu will feature in a more central role. The duo will look to try and ensure that Real Madrid midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. In attack, Hugo Duro will pair up with Roman Yaremchuk.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Mamardashvili; Foulquier, Diakhaby, Mosquera, Gaya; Perez, Pepelu, Guillamon, Guerra; Duro, Yaremchuk
Real Madrid
Los Blancos will be without the services of Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Thibaut Courtois. They do have a boost as Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga are back after serving their suspensions, while Jude Bellingham and Joselu are back fit as confirmed by Ancelotti.
The Italian manager will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, with Andriy Lunin in goal. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy will most likely be the full-back duo. In the heart of the defence, Antonio Rudiger will pair up with Nacho Fernandez.
Ancelotti will most likely rest Toni Kroos with the Champions League fixture coming up. So, we could see a midfield three of Aurelien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, and Eduardo Camavinga. The trio will look to control the tempo and ensure they have the majority of the ball possession.
While Bellingham and Joselu are both back, they might not be risked from the start. As a result, Brahim Diaz will be the attacking midfielder behind the Brazilian attacking duo of Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Brahim; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
Key Stats
- In the reverse fixture between the two teams, Real Madrid recorded a 5-1 win.
- The last league meeting between the two teams at Mestalla ended 1-0 in favour of Valencia.
- Both Real Madrid and Valencia have faced each other on 204 occasions in all competitions. Los Blancos have won 108 matches, while the home team have 55 wins to their name.
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last nine away games in the league.
- Valencia have won six matches against Real Madrid since 2009 and all of those wins have come at home.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo Goes
While the limelight has often been on Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior during the ongoing season, Rodrygo has quietly done his bit. And, Carlo Ancelotti will expect his 23-year-old Brazilian winger to get the job done for him yet again.
In his 37 outings in all competitions, Rodryo has 20 goal contributions. As far as the league is concerned, he has eight goals and four assists. Those might not be outstanding numbers, but his overall contribution has been immense and with Jude Bellingham out, he will have to deliver for Madrid to remain in the driving seat for the La Liga title.
Prediction
Valencia 1-3 Real Madrid
Valencia are not heading into this fixture in the best of forms. They have not been consistent enough and have failed to win in their last two outings. Meanwhile, Real Madrid might have dropped points in two out of their last five league outings, but their overall form is quite impressive. As a result, they might still have the upper hand heading into this one.
Real Madrid are the favourites, but they still might not have enough in them to repeat the performance from the reverse fixture where they won 5-1. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.