La Liga leaders Real Madrid will look to make it four league wins in a row when they square up against Real Valladolid on Saturday night.
Having established a top-point lead at the top, Carlo Ancelotti’s team will look to build on it when they hit the road to face bottom-placed Real Valladolid. Both teams have had completely contrasting fortunes so far, and it will be interesting to see how things pan out when they face each other.
Valladolid have secured a total of four wins so far, and they have accumulated a total of 15 points in their 20 outings. They are five points behind 17th-placed Deportivo Alaves and need to turn things around quickly if they want to stay up.
The home side are very much in the race for survival despite being rock bottom. While Real Valladolid have struggled for the majority of the season, a win here against the best team in the division could do wonders for their confidence and their hopes of surviving the drop.
The visitors are top of the table with 46 points in their 20 outings, and they have won each of their last three league games. Carlo Ancelotti’s team did not have the best of starts to the season, but they have still managed to establish a two-point lead at the top.
The reigning La Liga champions are heading into this fixture on the back of a thrilling 5-1 win over Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League. Given the kind of run they have been in of late, Los Blancos should not have much difficulty in taking down Valladolid. The Hard Tackle take a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Valladolid
Raul Moro and Juma Bah have both been linked with a move away from the club. Bah is on the verge of joining Manchester City and having breached his contract by not turning up for training, it is almost certain that he won’t be involved.
Moro’s winter transfer is off as he has fractured his collarbone and is all set to be out for a while. Meanwhile, Stanko Juric is suspended for this fixture. The home team will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Karl Hein will be in goal. The back four will be made up of Luis Perez, Cenk Ozkacar, Javi Sanchez, and Lucas Rosa.
In the centre of the park, Amath Ndiaye will start alongside Kike Perez and Mario Martín. The trio will have a tough day at the office as they will have to deal with the Real Madrid midfielders. Selim Amallah and Anuar Mohamed Tuhami will feature on the flanks providing width to their attacks while Marcos Andre will be the one leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hein; Perez, Ozkacar, J Sanchez, Rosa; Perez, Ndiaye, Martin; Tuhami, Andre, Amallah
Real Madrid
The visitors will remain without the services of Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao. Meanwhile, Vinicius Junior is suspended for this fixture, and the Brazilian international will serve the second of his ban.
Aurelien Tchouameni, who was an unused substitute last time out because of a niggle, should return to the starting XI here. Lucas Vazquez is back available after serving a suspension in the UEFA Champions League fixture.
Real Madrid will line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Real Valladolid, with Thibaut Courtois in goal. Vazquez and Ferland Mendy should be the full-backs, while Raul Asencio should partner Antonio Rudiger in the heart of the defence.
Tchouameni will take charge as the defensive midfielder, and he will have the support of Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and create chances for their world-class attacking trio.
With Vincius Junior suspended Rodrygo Goes should shift to the left flank, with Brahim Diaz taking charge on the right flank. Kylian Mbappe will continue to lead the line for Real Madrid against Real Valladolid on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Brahim, Mbappe, Rodrygo
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have won 20 out of the last 31 matches against Real Valladolid who have only won three of those games.
- Valladolid have lost each of their last six league games against Carlo Ancelotti’s team. They didn’t find the back of the net in any of those fixtures.
- Real Madrid last failed to score against Valladolid away from him in a 1-0 defeat back in November 2008.
- Real Valladolid have won their last two home league games.
- Los Blancos are heading into this fixture on the back of three consecutive wins and have scored a total of 14 goals in those fixtures.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe was criticised for a slow start at his new club. While things were not going according to plan for him in the initial phase, the 26-year-old has been on fire of late. He has 21 goal contributions to his name and given the kind of form he has been in, the French international will most likely add to his tally against Valladolid.
Prediction
Real Valladolid 0-4 Real Madrid
Real Valladolid are rock bottom of the table, and they will be going up against a team that sits top of La Liga. They do not have that great a track record against the team in white and will most likely have a tough day at the office. Given the kind of form Los Blancos have been in of late, they should ease past the home team. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the away team.
