Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid are all set to host relegation-threatened Cadiz at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real Madrid could seal their 36th La Liga title with a win over Cadiz on Saturday with four games to go if second-placed Barcelona fail to beat third-placed Girona later that day.
Los Blancos have been a dominant force in the league, and they are 11 points clear of the Blaugrana at the top of the table. They have only lost once in the league this season and are expected to put in another strong performance here.
Real Madrid are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final. While the focus will be the second leg and Ancelotti could make wholesale changes to the starting XI, he will still expect his team to claim all three points tihs weekend.
Meanwhile, Cadiz are 18th on the points table. They are five points behind 17th-placed Celta Vigo with as many games to go. The away side will have to put together a spell of positive results if they want to survive in the top flight.
The visitors have been winless in their last three league outings, and they are heading into this one on the back of a 1-1 draw with RCD Mallorca. Things are going to be very tough against Real Madrid, but they will have to push hard to ensure they get something from this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
The home team will be without the services of David Alaba for this fixture. Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni’s availability is a major doubt following a knock that he picked up in training. Dani Carvajal, who was suspended for the fixture against Bayern Munich, is back in the mix, while Thibaut Courtois could potentially make his first start since returning from injury.
Carlo Ancelotti is expected to make numerous changes to the team that started in the game against Bayern Munich earlier this week. Real will line up in a 4-4-2, where Thibaut Courtois should be in goal.
Carvajal and Fran Garcia should be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Eder Militao could feature alongside Nacho. Eduardo Camavinga should feature in the centre of the park alongside Dani Ceballos and Luka Modric.
Arda Guler should get his second league start of the season after finding the back of the net in their last league outing. Finally, Brahim Diaz could pair up with Joselu in the strike partnership, with Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, F Garcia; Ceballos, Camavinga, Modric; Guler; Brahim, Joselu
Cadiz
The visitors will be without the services of Jorge Mere, Fede San Emeterio, Jose Mari, Rominigue Kouame, and Luis Hernandez. Meanwhile, Lucas Pires and Aiham Ousou have fitness concerns. While Ousou could be back in time, Pires might not be fit for this one.
Cadiz will go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation, where Jeremias Ledesma will be in goal. Aiham Ousou and Javi Hernandez will be the full-back for the visitors. In the heart of the defence, Rafael Jimenez will pair up with Victor Chust.
Isaac Carcelen and Robert Navarro will provide the width, with the duo starting out wide on the flanks. Ruben Alcaraz should pair up with Alex Fernandez in a more central role, and they will look to ensure Real Madrid do not end up dominating the proceedings. In attack, Chris Ramos will pair up with Juanmi. The duo will look to cause problems for the home team’s defence.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Ledesma; Ousou, Fali, Chust, Javi Hernandez; Carcelen, Alcaraz, Alex, Navarro; Ramos, Juanmi
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have won seven of their last ten matches against Cadiz, with the visitors winning only once.
- Los Blancos have won each of their last three league games against Cadiz and have kept a clean sheet in the last two.
- After 11 wins in 12 home games against Cadiz in the league, Real Madrid have been winless in two of their last three such games.
- Cadiz have only won one out of their last five games in the league while Real Madrid have won each of their last five games.
- Real Madrid have been unbeaten in their last 27 matches in La Liga.
Player to Watch
Arda Guler
The teenage Turkish sensation has struggled in his first season at Real Madrid because of persistent fitness issues. He has not had the expected game time, but Carlo Ancelotti is now looking to get him into the groove.
Guler started Real Madrid last league game and even managed to find the back of the net. The 19-year-old is expected to once again start here and given the kind of potential he has, he is the player to watch out for.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-0 Cadiz
Cadiz have struggled throughout the season, and their recent form is not that good either. While the away side will go all out as they look to survive the drop, they still might not have enough to take down Los Blancos.
Real Madrid might be heading into this one on the back of a draw against Bayern Munich. But they have been in sensational form throughout the league campaign and even if they make numerous changes to their XI, they are still expected to come out on top here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the home team.