Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid will be looking to strengthen their position at the top of the table when they face Valencia, who have lost three out of their last four outings in La Liga.
The home team are on top of the table with 27 points in their ten outings, with nine wins and a defeat. Since losing to rivals Atletico Madrid, the team in white have been on a roll across competitions.
Los Blancos are heading into this fixture on the back of a thrilling 2-1 win over Barcelona in El Clasico. It was a dominant display from Alonso’s team, and they will be looking for a similar performance against Valencia.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 18th on the table with just nine points in their outings. Los Che have only won two games so far, and they have been winless in their last five league outings. After suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Villarreal in their last league outing, Valencia bounced back with a 5-0 win over Maracena in the Copa del Rey.
While Carlos Corberan’s men will be confident about their chances, going up against the best team in La Liga is a completely different ball game. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Dani Carvajal had to undergo knee surgery post the Clasico, which means he has once again joined Antonio Rudiger on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Andriy Lunin is suspended for this fixture after being shown a straight red in the aftermath of the big game. David Alaba remains a doubt and could undergo a late fitness test to determine his availability.
The team in white could line up in the 4-3-1-2 formation that they used against Barcelona, with Thibaut Courtois in goal. While Trent Alexander-Arnold is back available, he might not be risked from the start.
Federico Valverde and Alvaro Carreras should continue as the full-backs, with Dean Huijsen pairing up with Eder Militao in the heart of the defence. As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchuameni will take up the holding role, while Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler will be in his support in the centre of the park.
Jude Bellingham will also be a part of the midfield, but the English international will have the freedom to move around. In the final third, Vinicius Junior should continue to partner with Kylian Mbappe.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Courtois; Valverde, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Guler, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
The visitors will be without the services of Mouctar Diakhaby, Largie Ramazani, and Dimitri Foulquier. Meanwhile, Lucas Beltran and Filip Ugrinic will undergo a late fitness test.
Valencia will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Julen Agirrezabala will be in goal. Thierry Correia and Jose Gaya will be the full-backs, while Cesar Tarrega will partner Jose Manuel Copete in central defence.
Luis Rioja and Diego Lopez will feature out wide on the flanks, while Pepelu will feature in a more central role alongside Baptiste Santamaria. The Valencia midfield quartet will look to protect the backline and try to create opportunities to hit Real Madrid on a break. Meanwhile, Hugo Duro and Arnaut Danjuma should form the attacking partnership in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Agirrezabala; Correia, Tarrega, Copete, Gaya; Rioja, Pepelu, Santamaria, Lopez; Duro, Danjuma
Having missed the initial phase of the season, Bellingham did look rusty in his initial outings. But the English international was certainly back at his best against Barcelona, and he will now be looking to build on that performance.
The young Englishman seems to once again have a lot of freedom to join the attack under Xabi Alonso, and having bagged a goal and an assist in their last outing, the English international will be eager to add to his tally.
Real Madrid are in red-hot form under Xabi Alonso and will be full of confidence after their impressive win over Barcelona. The team looks well-balanced, with Jude Bellingham rediscovering his rhythm and the attacking duo of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior causing constant havoc for opposition defences.
Playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they have maintained a perfect record this season, Los Blancos will be expected to dominate proceedings and control the tempo from start to finish. Valencia, on the other hand, have endured a difficult campaign and face an uphill battle against the league leaders.
While their Copa del Rey win will have boosted morale, their defensive vulnerabilities and poor away form are major concerns heading into this clash. Real Madrid’s superior quality, and it would be no surprise if the hosts cruise to another comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Xabi Alonso and his charges.
