Real Madrid will be eyeing a third straight win across competitions when they host Sevilla on Saturday night.
Having been knocked out of the Copa del Rey, Sevilla will be eager to return to winning ways when they hit the road to face Real Madrid, who are slowly getting back on track after a rough few weeks.
The home team are second on the league table with 39 points in their 16 outings. Xabi Alonso’s team were in complete control of the title race, but in a matter of weeks, they have lost the top spot and are now four points behind the league leaders. However, they have finally returned to winning ways.
Real Madrid secured a 2-1 win over Deportivo Alaves in their last league outing, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-2 win over Talavera in the Copa del Rey. While it was not their best performance, they will be confident about their chances with the majority of their key players set to return to the starting XI.
Meanwhile, the away team are ninth on the points table with 20 points in their 16 outings. Sevilla have only won two out of their last five La Liga outings. While they did secure an impressive 4-0 win over Real Oviedo in their last league outing, they are heading into this one on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Alaves in the Copa del Rey.
Having won just two out of their last six outings across competitions, they are not in the best of form ahead of this clash against Real Madrid. While Los Blancos have not been at their best either, they might still have the edge in this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso will be without the services of Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Eder Militao this weekend. Meanwhile, Endrick, Fran Garcia, and Alvaro Carreras are serving suspensions.
Brahim Diaz is away on international duty with Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Raul Asencio, Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde, and Ferland Mendy will be assessed ahead of kick-off.
The team in white could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will return in goal. Valverde and Fran Garcia should be the full-backs, while Dean Huijsen should partner with Raul Asencio in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni will start alongside Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler in the centre of the park. The trio will look to control the tempo and ensure they dominate possession.
Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior should feature on the flanks, with Kylian Mbappe expected to lead the line for Real Madrid against Sevilla this weekend despite his recent injury concerns.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
Sevilla
Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke are away on international duty for the visitors. Meanwhile, Ruben Vargas, Adnan Januzaj, Tanguy Nianzou, and Gabriel Suazo are out injured.
Kike Salas, Marcao, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Orjan Nyland will all be assessed ahead of kick-off. Isaac Romero is back available after serving a suspension last time out.
Sevilla will line up in a 5-3-2 formation, where Odysseas Vlachodimos will take charge in goal. Jose Angel Carmona and Oso are expected to be the wing-backs for the away team. Meanwhile, Fabio Cardoso should start alongside Nemanja Gudelj and Andres Castrin in their back three.
Lucien Agoume, Djibril Sow and Batista Mendy will take charge in the centre of the park. The Sevilla midfield trio will look to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not run the show. Finally, Isaac Romero should pair up with Alexis Sanchez in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Vlachodimos; Carmona, Cardoso, Gudelj, Castrin, Oso; Agoume, Sow, Mendy; Romero, Alexis Sanchez
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have only won two out of their last six league outings.
- Los Blancos are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive wins in all competitions.
- Sevilla have lost three out of their last six league outings.
- Real Madrid have won 11 out of their last 13 matches against Los Nervionenses.
- The last time the two teams faced off at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid recorded a 4-2 win.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo
For the majority of the first half of the season, it seemed Rodrygo was surplus to requirements at Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso. However, with quite a few of their players unavailable, the Brazilian international has been handed opportunities on a regular basis, and he is making the most out of it.
The 24-year-old has bagged a goal in each of his last two starts, and he is expected to be in the starting XI for this fixture as well. He will be looking to build on his recent performances and cement a spot in Alonso’s preferred XI going forward.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Sevilla
Real Madrid appear to be slowly turning a corner after a difficult spell, and back-to-back wins should give them a timely boost ahead of this home clash. Despite missing several key players, Los Blancos are expected to control the tempo, dominate possession, and create enough chances to put Sevilla under sustained pressure at the Bernabeu.
Sevilla, meanwhile, are capable of making life uncomfortable with their compact setup, but their recent inconsistency and injury issues could prove costly against a Madrid side growing in confidence.
If Xabi Alonso’s men maintain their intensity and take their chances, they should have enough quality in the final third to see off the visitors and secure another important three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Xabi Alonso and his charges.