Real Madrid will look to end their three-match winless run in La Liga when they face Athletic Bilbao in San Mamés tonight.
Three consecutive draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona are over los blancos Trailing arch-rivals Barcelona in the La Liga standings.
advertise
With the Catalans beating Atletico Madrid on Tuesday and now four points clear at the top of the table, the pressure is on Xabi Alonso and his team-mates. It generated a strong response, ending the winless streak in La Liga and getting the team back on track.
Injuries remain an issue for Real Madrid, though, as they have once again lost key defender Dean Huizen, while Dani Carvajal and David Alaba remain unavailable. Ferland Mendy has picked up another injury just a week after returning from injury.
There could be a change or two in the starting line-up for the weekend’s 1-1 draw with Girona, as Alonso and Real Madrid look to break their winless streak.
defense
didn’t look back Thibault Courtois The Belgium international is the goalkeeper for Real Madrid and is one of the few players who has performed consistently for the team this season.
advertise
at the same time, Trent Alexander-Arnold After a poor start at Real Madrid, he appears to have found improvement at right-back and will be looking to build on recent momentum.
There should be changes on the left, reliable Alvaro Carreras He is expected to return in place of Fran Garcia, who got a rare start against Girona.
Alvaro Carreras returns to the team. (Photo by Dennis Doyle/Getty Images)
At the heart of the defence, Alonso is unlikely to risk Antonio Rudiger in back-to-back high-intensity games as he only returned to action at the weekend. Like this, Raul AsensioAfter recovering from gastroenteritis, you should start with the following Ed Militao.
advertise
midfield
The midfield department has been an issue for Alonso, with the manager struggling to find the right formula to suit his best players without compromising balance and chemistry.
What is certain is that Aurelien Tsoameni Will be Real Madrid’s deepest midfielder, looking to provide defensive stability and control.
Meanwhile, the manager continues to insist that Ardagul and Jude Bellingham Can play and thrive together and will deploy the pair as two advanced midfielders.
Federico Valverde will be moved to the right of midfield, while the left wing will be Vinicius the Youngerlooking to make an impact on the court amid all the noise surrounding his contract issues.
advertise
attack
Kylian Mbappe Will be the spearhead of Real Madrid’s attack, supported by Vinicius and Bellingham on the left, who will seize every opportunity to push forward.
Rodrigo Gos is likely to get a chance to come on as a substitute as he looks to end Real Madrid’s run of 30 games without scoring.
Franco Mastantono and Brahim Diaz are also options for Alonso if he needs to shake things up, depending on race status.