MU Shorts
Asensio, Camavinga start in 4-3-3: How Real Madrid could line up vs RB Leipzig
After a minor bump at the start of the month, Real Madrid have recovered well and are back at the top of the La Liga standings while also booking a place in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
A last-gasp draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, thanks to Antonio Rudiger’s brave header, secured qualification to the next round for Los Blancos. Now the focus will be to nail down the top spot in Group F for themselves, which they can do by avoiding defeat against RB Leipzig tonight.
The Merengues had beaten the Bundesliga outfit in the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu and go into the game on the back of a 3-1 victory over Sevilla in La Liga.
Carlo Ancelotti, though, will have to cope with the absence of key players like Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde and Luka Modric, while Dani Ceballos and Mariano Diaz are also unavailable. How that affects his selections will be interesting to see as Real search for another win.
Here at Madrid Universal, we take a look at how Real Madrid could set up against RB Leipzig later tonight.
Starters
Thibaut Courtois made his return from injury this past weekend against Sevilla and is certain to man the goal again, despite Andriy Lunin’s impressive displays in the absence of the Belgian international.
As for the rest of the side, there could be plenty of changes made by manager Ancelotti on the night in Germany. Lucas Vazquez has performed solidly whenever given an opportunity and could be in line for a start at right-back ahead of Dani Carvajal.
There could be a new centre-back pairing altogether deployed by Ancelotti with Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez likely to feature from the get-go, giving Eder Militao and David Alaba a break. Ferland Mendy should hold on to his place at left-back though.
Moving into the middle of the park, Luka Modric and Federico Valverde’s unavailability should ensure that Eduardo Camavinga gets a starting berth for Real Madrid against RB Leipzig.
Aurelien Tchouameni has been an outstanding performer for Los Blancos so far this season and will again be deployed as the deepest of the three midfielders, where he could tangle with Christopher Nkunku. Toni Kroos will bring the experience in the visitors’ midfield unit.
Ancelotti confirmed in his pre-match presser that Vinicius Jr will not be rested against Leipzig. The Brazilian will take his customary spot on the left flank while Rodrygo Goes will operate centrally in Karim Benzema’s absence.
Marco Asensio has made a solid impression in his cameos off the bench of late and is in line to make his first start of the season, slotting in on the right wing.
Substitutes
Sergio Arribas, who has been the standout performer for Real Madrid Castilla over the past year, could be in line to get a few minutes in the latter stages.
Eden Hazard could also get an opportunity late in the contest, having been hardly used by Ancelotti in recent weeks. One could also expect the manager to throw David Alaba on the pitch at some time on his return to Germany.
Real Madrid will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League when they take on Premier League bigwigs Liverpool in the second leg of their Round of 16 encounter tonight.
The Merengues are already in a solid position thanks to their 5-2 comeback victory in the first leg at Anfield, led by brilliant performances from Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema.
But the job is far from done as the Reds are perfectly capable of mounting a strong comeback, having done so in the past against Barcelona only a few years ago. The recent 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United also showed the capabilities of Jurgen Klopp’s men.
So, Carlo Ancelotti & co. will need to be professional and get the job done while guarding against any sort of complacency. The manager has a near-full squad at his disposal, with David Alaba the only player missing with an injury.
With the game set to kick off at the Santiago Bernabeu later tonight, Madrid Universal takes a look at how Los Blancos could line up against Liverpool.
Starters
Thibaut Courtois is a certain starter in goal for Real Madrid and will look to keep a clean sheet this time out after letting in two goals at Anfield in the reverse fixture.
The Belgian international will likely be shielded by the centre-back pairing of Eder Militao, who was in fine nick against Espanyol over the weekend, and Antonio Rudiger.
Dani Carvajal is a guaranteed starter at right-back, while Nacho Fernandez is set to get the nod on the left side after his solid performance after coming on as a substitute at Anfield. Ferland Mendy is back in the squad, but is unlikely to be thrust into the spotlight right away.
Moving into the middle of the park, Carlo Ancelotti has always banked on the experience of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos for the big games, and that will not change tonight against Liverpool at the Bernabeu.
The defensive midfield slot is up for grabs with neither Aurelien Tchouameni nor Eduardo Camavinga impressing against Espanyol. But, Camavinga has been in a much better nick in recent times than his compatriot and should get the nod.
As for the attacking trident, captain Karim Benzema is back in the squad after sitting out against Espanyol with an ankle issue. He is certain to start as the centre-forward while Vinicius Jr is a certainty on the left flank.
On the right, the likes of Rodrygo Goes, Marco Asensio and Federico Valverde are all options for Ancelotti, but it is the latter who is likely to get the nod tonight.
Real Madrid Predicted XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Nacho; Modric, Camavinga, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius.
Substitutes
Rodrygo Goes has often made a big impact coming off the bench, especially in the big games and is certain to get minutes at some stage against Liverpool. Marco Asensio is another player who can provide goals from the bench and can be an asset.
Alternatively, if Carlo Ancelotti is looking to shore things up in midfield, the energy of Dani Ceballos might come in handy while Aurelien Tchouameni would also be in contention.
Youngster Alvaro Rodriguez has been making quite an impression of late and could get some minutes under his belt as well.
Iyke Louis
October 25, 2022 at 3:17 pm
Think the young ones from castila should be given full match opportunity to gain experience here