Real Madrid will look to make it five wins in a row in all competitions when they host Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday night.
Deportivo Alaves will look to build on their impressive start to the 2024/25 season when they hit the road to square up against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who have been unbeaten so far, at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos did not start the new season in the best of fashion as they dropped points in two out of their first three league games. But, they have been on a roll of late, winning each of their last three league outings.
Ancelotti’s men are heading into this home fixture on the back of a dominating 4-1 win over Espanyol, and they will look to carry on in similar fashion against Alaves. The visitors have also been quite good in the initial weeks of the new season. While they did start with back-to-back draws, they have won three out of their last four league outings.
The Basque outfit suffered a blow at the hands of Espanyol but bounced back against Sevilla with a 2-1 win. While they hardly had the ball, they made their chances count and got the three points on the night.
Alaves are unlikely to have the ball against Real Madrid, and they will have to put up a similar performance if they want to come out with 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
Brahim Diaz, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Eduardo Camavinga remain on the sidelines for the home team. Carlo Ancelotti is expected to make a few changes to his XI as he looks to keep everyone fresh with games coming thick and fast.
Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal were subbed off after picking a knock in the last outing. While it was not anything serious, Ancelotti might not risk them from the start. It will once again be Thibaut Courtois in goal. Lucas Vazquez will be the right-back, while Ferland Mendy should continue on the left flank. In the heart of the defence, Eder Militao will start alongside Antonio Rudiger.
Luka Modric should make a return to the starting XI for this one, and he should have the support of Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. In attack, wonderkid Endrick might finally get his first start for Los Blancos. He should come in for Rodrygo, while Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe should be the other two forwards.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Valverde; Endrick, Mbappe, Vinicius
Deportivo Alaves
Jesus Owono will be unavailable because of an injury. Apart from him, Luis García should have a full squad to choose from. The Deportivo Alaves manager is expected to stick to the XI that started in their last outing.
Alaves will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Antonio Sivera will be in goal. The back four will be made up of Nahuel Tenaglia, Abdel Abqar, Aleksandar Sedlar, and Manu Sánchez. Tenaglia and Sanchez will feature on the flanks, while Abqar and Sedlar will start in the heart of the defence.
Joan Jordán and Ander Guevara will be the two holding midfielders. They will provide support to the backline and also look to ensure Madrid midfielders do not enjoy easy possession of the ball.
In attack, Carlos Vicente and Carlos Martin will feature on the flanks. They will look to provide width to their attacks, while Stoichkov will take charge as the attacking midfielder. Toni Martínez will be the one leading the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sivera; Tenaglia, Abqar, Sedlar, Manu Sanchez; Jordan, Guevara; Vicente, Stoichkov, Martin; Toni Martinez
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have been unbeaten in their last 38 league outings.
- Los Blancos have won each of their last four outings in all competitions and will look to make it five in a row against Alaves.
- Real Madrid won 5-0 last time they hosted Alaves at the Santiago Bernabéu.
- Alaves scripted history back in November 2020 when they won 2-1 at the Bernabeu.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s team have been unbeaten in their last five matches against Alaves.
Player to Watch
Endrick
The 18-year-old Brazilian wonderkid has made an exceptional start to life at Real Madrid. He has been on the pitch for just 26 minutes in his six outings but he already has two goals and an assist to his name. If he does get the opportunity to start against Alaves, it won’t be a surprise if he ends up delivering a sensational performance on his full debut.
Prediction
Real Madrid 4-0 Deportivo Alaves
Real Madrid have not hit top gear yet, but they are still making life difficult for their opponents. The hosts are expected to get better with every passing game, and Alaves, who have had a decent start to the new season, might feel the full force of Los Blancos on Tuesday. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the home team.