Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid will be eyeing a third straight win in La Liga when they host Malaga at home on Sunday.
Real Madrid have been off to a flying start under new boss Jose Mourinho, and they will be looking to build on those performances when they welcome newly promoted Malaga at the Bernabeu.
The home team are currently second on the table with two wins in two games. They have conceded two goals, but have managed to score six so far. While they started the campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Espanyol, Los Blancos were absolutely ruthless against Real Sociedad.
Despite not being at their best in the first half, they put the foot on the accelerator and ended up winning 4-1 in the end. They will be looking for a similar performance against Malaga to make it three wins in a row.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 16th on the table with a point in their first two outings. They lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid in their first game back in the top flight. While they did keep them quiet for the majority of the game, the final 20 minutes saw them concede twice.
After a disappointing start, they bounced back and secured a point against Deportivo in their second outing. While they would have liked more out of that game, Malaga were not clinical enough in the final third. They will need to do much better if they are to stand a chance against Mourinho’s men. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni is back fit, but he is not yet ready to make an appearance. Meanwhile, Los Blancos remain without the services of Eder Militao (thigh), Ferland Mendy (ligament), Raul Asencio (muscle), Thiago Pitarch (knee), Endrick (muscle), and Rodrygo (cruciate ligament) because of injury.
Real Madrid will continue to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will feature in goal. After making substitute appearances in the first two games, Marc Cucurella should finally come into the starting XI. He will take charge on the left, while Denzel Dumfries should continue on the right.
In the heart of the defence, Antonio Rudiger could get his first start alongside Ibrahima Konate. While Dean Huijsen hasn’t done anything wrong, Mourinho might just look to get the veteran defender involved.
In the centre of the park, Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde should continue in the double pivot. They will shield the backline and look to control the pace of the game.
Jude Bellingham will feature as the number ten, with Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler on the flanks, while star striker Kylian Mbappe will be leading the line for the team in white.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Rudiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Silva; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
Malaga
Malaga remain without the likes of Adrian Nino (thigh), Diego Murillo (cruciate ligament), Fernando Calero (broken rib), and Aaron Ochoa (meniscus) because of injury.
They are also expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Alfonso Herrero will feature in goal. Carlos Puga and Rafita should be the full-backs, while Angel Recio will partner with Einar Galilea in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Dani Lorenzo and Izan Merino will form the double pivot. The duo will shield the backline and look to ensure Madrid midfielders do not enjoy too much easy possession.
Carlos Dotor will feature as the attacking midfielder, with Juan Cruz and Joaquin Munoz taking charge on the flanks. The trio will look to hit Madrid on the break and create chances for Chupe, who will be the one leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Herrero; Puga, Recio, Galilea, Rafita; Lorenzo, Merino; Cruz, Dotor, Munoz; Chupe
Key Stats
- Los Blancos have scored 12 goals in their last five outings (six of those have come in their first two league outings).
- Kylian Mbappe is already leading the scoring charts, having bagged a hat-trick last time out.
- Malaga have found the back of the net on nine occasions in their last five outings.
- However, the visitors haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven games.
- Malaga have only won one of their 18 games against the team in white.
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
While the limelight always tends to be on Vinicius and Mbappe, Bellingham is an equally important asset for Mourinho. Mbappe did steal the show with his hat-trick, but the English international once again stood out with an all-round performance.
He bagged two assists against Sociedad and had started the campaign with a goal against Espanyol. With three goal contributions in the first two games, Bellingham is in red-hot form, and Malaga might struggle to deal with him on both ends of the pitch.
Prediction
Real Madrid 4-0 Malaga
Real Madrid have looked increasingly impressive with every game under Jose Mourinho, and their ruthless display against Real Sociedad will give them plenty of confidence heading into this fixture. With Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius all in dangerous form, Malaga could find it extremely difficult to contain the home side.
The visitors have shown some promise but remain vulnerable at the back, having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven outings. Madrid should dominate proceedings from the start and could run riot at the Bernabeu.
The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the home team.