Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Celta Vigo in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
Celta Vigo will have to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu if they want to make it to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. They will be aiming for an upset, while Los Blancos will look to put the Spanish Super Cup disappointment behind them.
The team in white were flying high heading into the Super Cup final against Barcelona, but they ended up getting smashed. Ancelotti’s team were thrashed 5-2, and they were outplayed in most aspects of the game.
Now, the reigning La Liga champions will be eager to get things back on track and put up a dominant display. Real Madrid secured a spot in the round of 16 with a 5-0 win over Deportivo Minera. They will be the favourites to make it to the last eight but it won’t be easy.
Celta Vigo have endured a mixed season so far, and they find themselves 12th in La Liga. The Galician outfit have made it to the round of 16 on the back of an emphatic comeback win over Racing Santander in their third-round tie.
But, the away side are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano. They did have their chances but were not clinical enough in the final third and ended up suffering. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao remain on the sidelines due to long-term knee injuries. Meanwhile, David Alaba is expected to be a part of the matchday squad and could get a few minutes off the bench.
Eduardo Camavinga is struggling with illness and is a doubt for this fixture. While Real Madrid lost the appeal against Vinicius Junior’s red card against Valencia, his two-match ban is only applicable in La Liga.
Carlo Ancelotti will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Andriy Lunin could be in goal. Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy will continue as full-backs, but there could be a change in the central unit, with Raul Asencio coming into the XI and starting alongside Antonio Rudiger.
With Camavinga’s availability in doubt, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni should form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of the game. Jude Bellingham will take up the no. 10 role, while Vinicius and Rodrygo should continue to feature on the flanks. Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for Real Madrid against Celta Vigo.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lunin; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
Celta Vigo
The visitors will be without the services of Iago Aspas, Marcos Alonso, and Gonzalez. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Mihailo Ristic is back in training and Javier Rodriguez is back available after serving a suspension last time out.
Celta Vigo will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Ivan Villar should take charge in between the sticks. The back three will be made up of Javier Rodriguez, Carlos Dominguez and Carl Starfelt. They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive significant support from Oscar Mingueza and Franco Cervi who will be the wing-backs.
Ilaix Moriba and Fran Beltran will feature in the central roles. They will try to ensure that Real Madrid midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. Pablo Duran and Jonathan Bamba will feature on the flanks providing much-needed width to their attacks, while Borja Iglesias will be the one leading the line.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Villar; Rodriguez, Dominguez, Starfelt; Mingueza, Beltran, Moriba, Cervi; Duran, Iglesias, Bamba
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have won the Copa del Rey 20 times in their history.
- Los Blancos have won each of their last five games at the Santiago Bernabeu with a combined scoreline of 16-2.
- Celta Vigo have lost each of their last nine games against the team in white.
- Real Madrid have not lost against Celta Vigo since January 2017.
- The visitors’ last win over Real Madrid back in the Copa del Rey. It was a 2-1 away win which helped them go through to the next round with an aggregate scoreline of 4-2.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo Goes
While the 5-2 defeat at the hands of Barcelona was a massive blow, there were a few positives for Real Madrid in that game. Apart from Kylian Mbappe’s impressive performances, Rodrygo was also quite a threat from the right flank during the initial phase of the game.
The 24-year-old might tend to go under the radar because of all the big names around him, but he is one of the most important players for them. With 11 goal contributions so far, the Brazilian international will be eager to add to his tally.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Celta Vigo
Real Madrid might be heading into this fixture on the back of a massive defeat, but they are still the favourites to come out on top here. They have enough quality in their ranks to take down Celta Vigo, who need a miracle to script an upset. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
