Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Levante at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Having made the worst possible start to 2026, Real Madrid would want to get things back on track with a win when they square up against a struggling Levante outfit at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon.
While Los Blancos are second in La Liga, just four points behind leaders Barcelona, they find themselves in deep trouble following back-to-back defeats in the last week. The Merengues lost to the Catalan giants in the Spanish Super Cup final, following which Xabi Alonso left the club.
Alvaro Arbeloa has taken over from him, but his first game in charge was a disaster, as the team in white got knocked out of the Copa del Rey by second division outfit Albacete. While Real Madrid are clearly struggling, they are still the favourites for this home fixture against Levante.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 19th on the table with just 14 points in their 18 outings. They are four points off safety and have a game in hand. A win here will not only give the Granotes three important points but also be a massive boost for the squad as a whole.
Levante are unbeaten in their last three league games, and they are heading into this fixture against Real Madrid on the back of a 1-1 draw against Espanyol. The away side have been doing a solid job in recent weeks, and they have proved very difficult to break down. As a result, Real Madrid will have to be at their best to get their season back on track. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
The home team remain without the services of Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh), Eder Militao (hamstring), Brahim Diaz (AFCON), and Ferland Mendy (hamstring), while Antonio Rudiger (knee) will undergo a late fitness test. Recent reports suggest Kylian Mbappe is still not a hundred per cent and might not take part in this fixture.
Dani Carvajal should return to the starting eleven, allowing Federico Valverde to feature in his preferred midfield role. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Carvajal and Alvaro Carreras will be the full-backs, while Raul Asencio should pair up with Dean Huijsen in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni will take up the holding role in the middle of the pitch, while Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham will be in his support. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they dominate proceedings.
Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks, while Gonzalo Garcia could continue to lead the line for Real Madrid against Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Garcia, Vinicius
Levante
The visitors will be without the services of Roger Brugue (knee), Unai Elgezabal (knee), and Victor Garcia (hamstring). Apart from the trio, everyone else is expected to be available for selection for the away side. Etta Eyong made a substitute appearance last time out after returning from AFCON, and he should be back in the starting XI for this fixture.
Levante will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mathew Ryan will be in goal. Jeremy Toljan and Diego Pampín will feature as the full-backs, while Adrian de la Fuente will pair up with Matias Moreno in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Kervin Arriaga and Pablo Martinez will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to shield the backline and keep their Real Madrid counterparts quiet.
Carlos Alvarez will take up the number ten role, while Etta Eyong and Iker Losada will feature out wide on the flanks. Finally, Ivan Romero should spearhead the Levante attack against Real Madrid on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ryan; Toljan, De la Fuente, Moreno, Pampin; Martinez, Arriaga; Eyong, Alvarez, Losada; Romero
Key Stats
- Real Madrid are heading into this fixture on the back of two consecutive defeats.
- After a run of three straight defeats, Levante have been unbeaten in their last three league fixtures (W1 D2).
- Levante last won at the Santiago Bernabeu back in January 2021 (2-1).
- Real Madrid have won 6-0 and 4-1 in their last two meetings against Levante.
- The team in white have won eight out of their nine league home games this term.
Player to Watch
Federico Valverde
With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal struggling to stay fit, Valverde has been forced to feature as the right-back in the majority of his games this season. But with the 34-year-old now back fit, the South American star is set to return to his preferred midfield position.
While he certainly did a great job as a full-back, his absence in the midfield tends to cause a lot of problems for Los Blancos as a whole. With Valverde back pulling the strings, Real Madrid will be confident about getting things back on track, and the 27-year-old will be eager to add to his tally of eight goal contributions when he takes the field against Levante.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Levante
Real Madrid will be desperate to respond after a torrid run of results, and a home fixture against Levante presents an ideal opportunity to steady the ship. With Federico Valverde back in midfield alongside Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni, Los Blancos should look more balanced and assertive in possession, while Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes will aim to stretch a Levante defence that has shown resilience in recent weeks.
The visitors arrive on the back of an improved run of form, and they are likely to set up compactly, looking to frustrate the hosts and strike on the counter. However, the quality Real Madrid possess at the Bernabeu, coupled with their strong home record, should prove decisive.
While Levante could make things uncomfortable at times, the home side are expected to have enough firepower to get back to winning ways. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Alvaro Arbeloa and his charges.