Pre-Match Analysis

April 1, 2025

PREDICTED LINE-UPS | Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad

Real Madrid will aim to confirm their place in the Copa Del Rey final when they welcome Real Sociedad in the second leg of the semi-finals.

Real Madrid have a one-goal advantage in this leg after Endrick’s 19th-minute strike remained the sole goal in the first leg. Los Blancos survived an unusual scare against Leganes in their last match when they found themselves a goal down at the break. However, they rallied together and grinded out a 3-2 victory, thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s brace.

The three points from the match kept Real within a three-point distance of Barcelona as the race for the LaLiga title is set for a fantastic end with nine games to go. Carlo Ancelotti lifted the Copa Del Rey two years back and this is the competition where his men have endured the most woes in recent years. They are in a prime position to reach the final tonight and they will just have to make sure to hold out their nerves.

Going out of the tournament would not be something unusual for Real Sociedad as they have struggled to maintain their composure throughout the campaign. They are always in the mix for finishing strongly in a Europa League spot with a shot at the top four, but they found themselves sitting in 10th place in the league standings this season.

Imanol Alguacil’s side gathered new momentum with a 2-1 victory over Real Valladolid in their previous outing, but this was their first win since February. The Basque outfit came out as 4-3 winners against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2020 and they will hope to take advantage of a Real Madrid side fatigued with fighting for three different titles.

Here are the predicted line-ups for the match:

Real Madrid (4-3-3): Lunin; Vazquez, Asensio, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius.

Real Sociedad (4-3-3): Remiro; Traore, Zubeldia, Elustondo, Munoz; Sucic, Zubimendi, Marin; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea.

March 14, 2025

LaLiga PREVIEW | Villarreal v Real Madrid

Real Madrid will aim to pile on pressure on league leaders Barcelona when they face Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica tomorrow.

Villarreal have proved to be a significant force this season as their 12 wins and eight draws from 26 matches have put them in fifth-place, just five points away from Athletic Bilbao who have played a game more.

The Yellow Submarines’ six-game unbeaten streak came to an end as they suffered a shock defeat to Alaves in their last match. Despite going two men down during the course of the match, Manu Sanchez’s 11th-minute strike stood as the decider of the contest, handing the visitors their sixth defeat of the season.

Marcelino will hope to use the positive momentum of his side and convert it into a top-four finish this campaign, something which the club have not achieved since 2015-16. A large part of their finishing position depends on their final 12 games of the campaign and overcoming Real Madrid would produce a huge step in their stride.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid enter into this match after securing a route to the Champions League quarter-finals in spectacular fashion as they earned the bragging rights over Atletico Madrid on penalties. Julian Alvarez’s early goal in the second leg levelled the scores on aggregate and Los Blancos failed to find a way through the Atleti defence throughout the 120 minutes of the contest. Finally, they netted four of their five spotkicks to win the knockout match.

Defeat to Real Betis dislodged Real Madrid from the LaLiga league leaders position as Barcelona reclaimed the spot. However, they are currently level on points with the Catalans having played an additional game but a victory tomorrow could change things quickly. Real will have one eye on Barcelona’s match against Atletico Madrid on Sunday as a negative result for the visitors that day could hand Madridistas an advantage.

Here are the results from their last five matches across all competitions

Villarreal:

L D W W W

Real Madrid:

W W W L W

Team News

Marcelino is set to have a refreshed side for the match with the exceptions of Gerard Moreno and Ilias Akhomach.

Thierno Barry is set to deputize for Nicholas Pepe.

As for Real Madrid, Ferland Mendy joins the injured list with Dani Carvajal, Jesus Vallejo, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos.

Fran Garcia is set to start as the left-back. Luka Modric is expected to be rested.

Predicted XIs

Villarreal: Conde; Foyth, Kambwala, Costa, S Cardona; Pino, Gueye, Parejo, Baena; Barry, Perez.

Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius.

January 5, 2025

Copa del Rey PREVIEW | Deportiva Minera v Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey quest begins tomorrow when they travel to the Estadio Municipal Angel Celdran to face fourth-tier side Deportiva Minera.

Minera earned promotion to the Spanish fourth division last season after a stellar campaign in the fifth tier. The Red Eagles have struggled since November last year to seal a league victory and they arrive into this match on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Juventud Torremolinos in their previous outing.

Jose Perez’s side are jubilant about hosting the mighty Real Madrid in their backyard after progressing through to the next round following a 5-0 win over Tudelano.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid were on the verge of losing in their last match against Valencia but their first comeback of the new year helped them earn three points. Los Che struck in the first half through Hugo Duro’s goal and it was not until the 80th minute that Los Blancos burst into action.

Vinicius Jr.’s red card breathed new life as Luka Modric equalised in the 85th minute before Jude Bellingham redeemed himself for a missed penalty earlier by netting the decider of the contest in added time.

Real Madrid are now provisional LaLiga leaders but Atletico Madrid could surpass them as the latter have a game-in-hand. The victory helped them go five points clear of Barcelona.

Team News

Omar Pedormo is expected to start the match after scoring five goals and registering two assists this season for Minera.

As for Real Madrid, Vinicius will have to serve a suspension for his actions against Valencia.

Carlo Ancelotti is set to rotate his side heavily for the game as Andriy Lunin, Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz and Arda Guler are in contention to start.

Predicted XIs

Deportiva Minera (4-4-2): Martinez; Mas, Monty, Vera, Heredero; Pujante, Petcoff, Britos, Pipo; Perdomo, Ferron

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Lunin; Vazquez, Asencio, Vallejo, Garcia; Ceballos, Tchouameni; Brahim, Modric, Guler; Endrick

Vinicius Jr and Mbappé celebrate after scoring against Real Sociedad.
December 21, 2024

LaLiga PREVIEW | Real Madrid v Sevilla

Real Madrid will aim to put the pressure on Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with a win when they face Sevilla tomorrow at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid will approach their next fixture with a big boost after lifting the Intercontinental Cup midweek by defeating Pachuca 3-0. Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo were on the scoresheet to bag the club’s fifth trophy of 2024.

Los Blancos gained momentum with a victory over Girona earlier this month but they failed to sustain the run as they hit a roadblock at Vallecas against Rayo Vallecano. Carlo Ancelotti’s men will look to secure two wins out of their upcoming two games before they head to Copa Del Rey and Supercopa De Espana clashes.

Meanwhile, Sevilla will arrive at this match without much hope as they hold a humiliating away record against Real. They are winless at the Bernabeu since December 2008 but they will expect a weary home side due to their Intercontinental fixture midweek.

Los Nervionenses are currently 11th in the league standings, seven points clear of the relegation zone but a loss tomorrow could put them again under the pressure of a dropzone dogfight. Garcia Pimienta’s side have improved a bit from last season’s underwhelming run but there is still a long way to go for them.

Results from their last five matches across all competitions

Real Madrid:

W D W W L

Sevilla:

W L W D W

Team News

Real Madrid will miss Vinicius this weekend as he serves a suspension. Rodrygo could deputize in his place.

Mbappe returned to the field against Pachuca and therefore should be ready to start this one too.

Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and Federico Valverde missed out on training on Friday but they should be available to feature.

Sevilla will miss the likes of  Djibril Sow, Adria Pedrosa, Chidera Ejuke, Rafa Mir and Tanguy Nianzou will miss the match through injury.

Manu Bueno is set to start after netting once against Celta Vigo.

Predicted XIs

Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Camavinga; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Brahim; Mbappe

Sevilla: Fernandez; Montiel, Bade, Gudelj, Salas; Bueno, Agoume, Saul; Navas, Romero, Lukebakio

December 14, 2024

LaLiga PREVIEW | Rayo Vallecano v Real Madrid

Real Madrid make the short trip to Vallecas to face Ray Vallecano with hopes of becoming the provisional league leaders.

Rayo Vallecano have registered five wins, four draws and seven defeats from their first 15 matches of the season. This record has put them 12th in the league standings and consolidating a reasonable six-point gap from the relegation zone.

Pathe Ciss’ only strike in their last match against Valencia helped them storm to victory as Rayo followed their win over Los Unionistas in the Copa Del Rey with another one. While Inigo Perez’s side do not hold a favourable home record this campaign but Real Madrid too have faltered on the road.

Los Franjirrojos held Los Blancos to draws in each of their two meetings last season and they will aim to get away with a point tonight.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid approach this match on the back of a thrilling 3-2 victory over in-form Atalanta in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti’s men were hanging by a thread in the UCL before this result but the three points have now changed the scenario.

Vini Jr., Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham made their name on the scoresheet as they successfully resisted a potential comeback spirited by La Dea.

A win tonight will send Real Madrid as league leaders provisionally as Barcelona face Leganes on Sunday.

Results from their last five matches across all competitions

Rayo Vallecano:

W W L L L

Real Madrid:

W W L W L

Team News

Rayo are set to be without the likes of Pelayo Fernandez and Raul De Tomas. Alvaro Garcia, Isi Palazon and Jorge De Frutos are to be fielded as the attacking trio.

As for Real Madrid, Mbappe is ruled out of the match due to an injury. Rodrygo has recovered from his recent knock and is expected to start.

Eduardo Camavinga returns on the squad list after a long injury hiatus.

Predicted XIs

Rayo Vallecano: Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mumin, Chavarria; Ciss, Valentin; De Frutos, Palazon, A Garcia; Nteka

Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, F Garcia; Ceballos, Valverde; Brahim, Bellingham, Vinicius; Rodrygo

December 7, 2024

PREDICTED LINE-UPS | Girona v Real Madrid

Coming on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid will aim to get back to winning ways when they face Girona tonight.

Real Madrid had the chance to go a one-point off league leader Barcelona with a game in hand but they botched the operation at San Mames. Goals from Alejandro Berenguer and Gorka Guruzeta sunk the Los Blancos ship as Jude Bellingham netted a consolation. Kylian Mbappe’s form has raised concern amongst the Real management as he missed yet another penalty against Athletic Club. Vinicius Junior, Eduardo Camavinga, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba are set to miss the match. Mbappe, Rodrygo and Bellingham are expected to lead the attack.

Meanwhile, Girona’s standards have dropped this season after great heights in the last term. Girona departed from the Copa Del Rey following their defeat to Logrones earlier this week as the Primera Federacion side won the match on penalties. Michel’s side are just three points off Real Madrid in the Champions League table. Girona will be without the services of Viktor Tsygankov, Yaser Asprilla and Yangel Herrera for this match.

Here are the predicted line-ups for the match:

Girona: Gazzaniga; A Martinez, D Lopez, Krejci, Gutierrez; Martin, Romeu; Gil, Van de Beek, Danjuma; Miovski

Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Brahim

October 2, 2024

PREDICTED LINE-UPS | Lille v Real Madrid

Real Madrid will aim to continue their unbeaten streak across all competitions when they face Lille at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy tonight.

Champions League action returns for Real Madrid as they aim to register their second victory in the competition’s new format after defeating Stuttgart by a 3-1 margin in the opener. Goals from Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and Endrick helped avert a potential comeback initiated by Deniz Undav’s 68th-minute strike to hand Los Blancos the three points. Carlo Ancelotti’s men went out in search of revenge against their neighbourhood rivals Atletico Madrid in their previous game but they were left just short to getting the victory from a fiery Madrid derby when Angel Correa netted the equaliser in added time.

Meanwhile, Lille come into this match in upbeat mood after securing a 3-0 win over Le Havre in their last match. Jonathan David, who has broken through the scoring charts since last season, was on point that day to net a hattrick. Les Dogues reached the Champions League through the playoff round where they sealed a 3-2 victory on aggregate against Slavia Praha. While Lille’s opening game did not go according to plan as Sporting Lisbon mastered a stunning performance through goals from Victor Gyokeres and Zeno Debast.

Here are the predicted line-ups for the match.

LOSC Lille: Chevalier; Tiago Santos, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Andre, Andre Gomes, Cabella; Zhegrova, David, Sahraoui.

Real Madrid: Lunin; Carvajal, Eder Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior

May 4, 2024

LaLiga PREVIEW | Real Madrid v Cadiz

Real Madrid enter into this clash against Cadiz hoping to secure the LaLiga title with four games to spare this season.

Real Madrid could lift the league title if they get the three points today and Barcelona fail to beat Girona at the Montilivi. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have navigated through this season rather comfortably, accruing 84 points and going 11 points clear of chasing pack Barcelona.

The 3-2 victory over the Blaugranas virtually handed the LaLiga title to Los Blancos and the narrow win against Real Sociedad thanks to Arda Guler’s lone goal further kept them in form. Real will hope to not let any slip-ups get in their way as Ancelotti wants to have a morally boosted squad ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg versus Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid settled for a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena earlier this week as a brace from Vinicius Junior helped cancel out the efforts from Leroy Sane and Harry Kane. The teams are level and it is going to be a cracking second leg.

Meanwhile, Cadiz come into this match being on the wrong end of the table as they continue their bitter fight for survival. Four points are the difference between them and 17th-placed Celta Vigo and they feel that securing safety is still manageable with five games to go.

It has been over a month since El Submarino Amarillo mustered their last win — a 1-0 victory against Granada courtesy of a goal from Robert Navarro. The visitors this evening have only secured four wins across the season and relegation would be a tough blow to the side which came up four years back.

It is unlikely for Cadiz to prevail against Real Madrid but an upset is always on the cards as three points could help me immensely in this business end of the campaign.

Results from their last five matches across all competitions

Real Madrid:

D W W W W

Cadiz:

D L L W L

Team News

Thibaut Courtois is fit and will make his first appearance of the season after recovering from an ACL injury.

David Alaba is still unavailable due to injury. Dani Carvajal should start after sitting out against Bayern serving a suspension.

Eder Militao is expected to start in defence as Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz and Joselu are set to get significant minutes.

As for Cadiz, Jorge Mere, Fede San Emeterio, Jose Mari, Romingue Kouame and Luis Hernandez are ruled out with respective injuries.

Aiham Ousou might be deemed fit ahead of the match to start. Chris Ramos and Juanmi are set to keep their places in the starting line-up.

Predicted XIs

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, F Garcia; Camavinga, Modric; Guler, Brahim, Ceballos; Joselu

Cadiz (4-4-2): Ledesma; Ousou, Fali, Chust, J Hernandez; Carcelen, Alcaraz, Alex, Navarro; Ramos, Juanmi

April 26, 2024

LaLiga PREVIEW | Real Sociedad v Real Madrid

Real Madrid will aim to stretch their winning run to four consecutive matches across all competitions when they face Real Sociedad at San Sebastian tonight.

Los Blancos have been a dominant force in Europe this season as they have lost only once in their LaLiga campaign and progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League after a resilient defensive showing against Manchester City at the Etihad. 25 wins in the league have put them 11 points clear of second-placed Barcelona while scoring the highest (70) goals and conceding the least (22) till now this season.

It has been an incredible last few days for Real Madrid as they defeated defending champions Man City on penalties to set up a Champions League semi-final clash with Bayern Munich. They added to their joy by following up with a thrilling 3-2 victory over eternal rivals Barcelona in a fiery El Clasico. The Blaugrana took the lead twice during the match through goals from Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez but Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vasquez equalised the scores. It was super signing Jude Bellingham who settled the game in Real’s favour by scoring from a tight angle in added time to send the home crowd in jubilation.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men bring a 17-game unbeaten run to this match and they will aim to edge out a win without stressing themselves too much.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad will aim to hold onto their league position as they are fighting to secure a Europa League spot for next season. The Basques finished fourth last campaign but they are not expected to qualify for the Champions League as they are 10 points behind 4th-placed Atletico Madrid.

Imanol Alguacil’s side are three points clear of chasing pack Real Betis and they will be made to fight tooth and nail for every match until the season ends to finish in that Europa League spot. Sociedad have drawn each of their last two league outings, against Almeria and Getafe but they have secured wins over Cadiz, Granada and Alaves.

Real Sociedad enjoyed a 2-0 victory last season in the corresponding fixture last year at home and that should enable them to put up a spirited contest against Real Madrid.

Results from their last five matches across all competitions

Real Sociedad:

D D W W W

Real Madrid:

W W W D W

Team News

Carlo Ancelotti is set to rotate his side after virtually securing the LaLiga title with a win in the last match. Arda Guler could be given his first start of the season while Eder Militao too could get a start after an excellent showing against City.

Ferland Mendy will be absent due to muscular discomfort. Fran Garcia should start the game. Joselu remains in contention to replace Rodrygo upfront but a 4-3-3 formation could see both players featuring.

As for Real Sociedad, they will be without the services of Hamari Traore and Brais Mendez. Martin Zubimendi and Igor Zubeldia have fully recovered from their injuries and are in contention to start.

Alvaro Odriozola could feature against his old side tonight.

Predicted XIs

Real Sociedad: Remiro; Odriozola, Le Normand, Zubeldia, Galan; Benat, Zubimendi, Merino; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea

Real Madrid: Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, F Garcia; Modric, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Diaz; Vinicius, Joselu.

April 12, 2024

LaLiga PREVIEW | Mallorca vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid enter tomorrow’s match against Mallorca at the San Moix in hopes of opening up an 11-point lead at the top of the table.

Mallorca could not secure the second Copa Del Rey title in their history on Saturday despite taking an early lead. Dani Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 21st minute before Oliver Sancet equalised for Athletic Club just after the half-time resumption. 120 minutes of action could not separate the two sides as Bilbao lifted their first Copa Del Rey in 40 years through a penalty shootout.

Los Piratas are six points clear from the relegation zone but a string of mediocre performances during this period could pull them back to the survival dogfight. Javier Aguirre’s men will hope to have the home crowd on their back tomorrow as it would take a huge effort to even earn a point against the league leaders.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid played out a European classic in their last match in the Champions League quarter-finals first-leg against Manchester City. Both teams shared the spoils in the six-goal thriller as Los Blancos now await a tough contest at The Etihad next week to settle the tie.

Last season’s trip to Mallorca was unwelcoming for Real Madrid as racist insults hurled towards Vinicius Jr. and other players plagued the match. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will look to get the job irrespective of the audience’s mood.

Real has the best away record this season, picking up 34 points from 15 games and it is set to be a fiery clash as Mallorca have in turn lost only three home matches.

Team News

Mallorca will be without the services of Toni Lato, Dani Rodriguez and Copete as all three suffered minor injuries in the Copa Del Rey final.

Predrag Rajkovic is expected to return in between the sticks. Jaume Costa will start from the left flank.

As for Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti will shuffle his squad to keep his players well-rested for the trip to Manchester. Aurelien Tchouameni should start the match as he is suspended for the Man City clash.

Eder Militao and Kepa Arizzabalaga might get the nod as Ancelotti will assess his options.

Predicted XIs

Mallorca (5-3-2): Rajkovic; Gonzalez, Valjent, Raillo, Nastasic, J Costa; Darder, S Costa, Sanchez; Muriqi, Larin

Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Vazquez, Militao, Nacho, F Garcia; Ceballos, Tchouameni, Modric; Bellingham; Vinicius, Brahim

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