After their 5-0 triumph over Kairat Almaty in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid return to La Liga action tonight as they take on Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Merengues were hammered 2-5 by neighbours Atletico Madrid in their previous league encounter last week, and, thus, will be intent on producing a strong reaction.
However, things will not be easy against Villarreal, who are currently third in La Liga, and have won each of their last three league games.
The Yellow Submarine are only two points behind Real Madrid and have the joint-best defensive record in the league, along with leaders Barcelona, having conceded only five goals.
So, it will be a stern test for Xabi Alonso & co. tonight as they hope to enter the international break with a win under their belt.
Eder Militao’s return, after recovering from a knock he suffered in the derby defeat, comes as a boost for the hosts. But they still remain without Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ferland Mendy, and Antonio Rudiger.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how Alonso could set his team up against Marcelino’s men at the Bernabeu tonight.
Defence
Thibaut Courtois will continue as the undisputed starter between the sticks for Real Madrid, hoping to secure a clean sheet after shipping in five in his last league appearance.
Eder Militao is fit again and should walk right back into the starting lineup for Los Blancos, where he will most likely partner youngster Dean Huijsen. David Alaba, who made a rare start vs Kairat, will make way.
Meanwhile, with no recognised right-back available at his disposal, Xabi Alonso is once again expected to deploy Raul Asencio in the position. On the opposite flank, we should see the return of Alvaro Carreras after getting a well-earned rest against Kairat.
Midfield
The midfield department is where Alonso has some big decisions to make considering that Jude Bellingham is pushing for a start, Dani Ceballos impressed after starting in the midweek, and Eduardo Camavinga scored a goal after coming on as a substitute.
But the expectation is that the manager will go into the game with what has been his first-choice midfield unit this season.
It would mean that Federico Valverde returns to the team after not playing a single minute in midweek, replacing Ceballos in the centre of the park.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler will hold on to their places to provide defensive cover and creative spark, respectively.
Attack
Kylian Mbappe is in unstoppable form at this point, and coming on the back of a hat-trick in midweek against Kairat Almaty, the Real Madrid megastar will one again spearhead the attack for the team.
As for his partners in the final third, both Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo made strong cases for a starting berth with their cameos in midweek.
However, they are likely to have to wait for their opportunities, with the duo of Franco Mastantuono and Vinicius Jr. expected to feature from the start.
Read the full article here
