Matches
Bellingham, Cucurella start in a 4-2-3-1: How Real Madrid can line up against Real Sociedad
Real Madrid return to the Santiago Bernabeu tonight as they host Real Sociedad in their postponed Matchday 1 fixture, with Jose Mourinho looking to make it two La Liga wins from two.
Madrid opened their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Espanyol, where Jude Bellingham scored before summer signing Carlos Espi grabbed a dramatic late winner.
Mourinho will now take charge of his first competitive game at the Bernabeu since returning to the club. The manager still has several absentees to contend with.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Endrick remain unavailable after continuing to train away from the group, while Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio and Thiago Pitarch are also out.
Mourinho has nevertheless named a strong 23-man squad, with Eduardo Camavinga available and youngsters Jorge Cestero, Alexis Ciria and Mario Rivas included.
With Madrid having played just four days ago, some changes could be on the cards against Real Sociedad, and here is how Mourinho can set his team up.
Defence
There should be no debate in goal, with Thibaut Courtois continuing as Mourinho’s first choice ahead of Andriy Lunin. The latter is expected to be limited to minutes in the Copa del Rey.
Denzel Dumfries should retain his place at right-back after starting against Espanyol. The Dutchman provides the physicality and attacking thrust Mourinho values.
Should Jose decide to make a change, though, Trent Alexander-Arnold remains another high-level option.
One possible alteration could come on the opposite flank, as Marc Cucurella could make his Madrid debut from the bench against Espanyol.
After building up his fitness, he could now be handed his first start at the club at the Bernabeu, shortly after being felicitated for the World Cup win.
At centre-back, Dean Huijsen should continue, while Ibrahima Konate also retains his place ahead of Antonio Rudiger.
Midfield
Tchouameni’s continued absence means Jose must once again find the right balance without his natural defensive midfielder.
Bernardo Silva should continue in the deeper role after starting against Espanyol. His ability to dictate possession could be particularly important against Sociedad.
Club captain Federico Valverde is the obvious choice alongside him, providing the legs, intensity and defensive coverage needed to compensate for Bernardo’s playmaking profile.
Further forward, Jude Bellingham is nailed on to keep his place as the No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1 and will hope to add to his goal tally against the Basque club.
Attack
Kylian Mbappe is expected to lead the line once again.
Even with Espi pushing his case after scoring the winner last weekend, displacing the French superstar from the starting striker role remains extremely difficult.
On the left, Vinicius Junior should retain his place and will be hoping for a more decisive performance after an eventful outing against Espanyol.
He made the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the game against the Catalan club and will hope for his game to do the talking this time around.
The biggest question comes on the right flank. Arda Guler started the league opener and had an excellent game, but Mourinho could change things up here.
Yan Diomande was officially presented at Madrid yesterday and could be in line for his first competitive start at his new club.
Mourinho has plenty of attacking options from the bench if required, with Espi, Brahim and Guler all capable of changing the game.
Real Madrid will lock horns with Elche CF away at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight in Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 La Liga season.
The Merengues are currently second in the league standings with four wins and one defeat from five games, three points behind Barcelona, who are yet to drop a single point this term, and have looked unstoppable.
Given the situation, Real Madrid know there is no room for slip-up, even though it is still very early in the season.
Jose Mourinho’s men have not been particularly convincing away from home this term, having just about managed to beat RCD Espanyol in their opening match before falling to their only defeat of the campaign against Real Betis.
The hope will be to address that issue and put in a strong performance while collecting all three points heading into the derby against Atletico Madrid later in the week.
Going into the match, Los Blancos have not received any new fitness boosts, with Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, and Ferland Mendy still unavailable.
However, there will likely be some rotations with an eye on the derby, and here’s how Mourinho could set his team up against Elche tonight.
Defence
Trent Alexander-Arnold has had to share minutes with summer signing Denzel Dumfries so far this season, but will be hoping to make the right-back spot his own with a convincing performance tonight against Elche.
Meanwhile, on the left, Alvaro Carreras is expected to retain his place after a brilliant display at the weekend against Rayo Vallecano, which would also allow Marc Cucurella to be protected before the derby.
At centre-back, Dean Huijsen is expected to return to the starting lineup, at the expense of Antonio Rudiger, and partner with Ibrahima Konate.
Thibaut Courtois is the undisputed starter in goal for Real Madrid and will continue his search for a second clean sheet this season.
Midfield
While Aurelien Tchouameni has returned from his injury layoff, he is unlikely to be rushed back by Mourinho. As such, the Frenchman is likely to feature off the bench once again tonight at Elche.
Instead, the double pivot pairing of Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva is expected to take the field once again, with Eduardo Camavinga also having to settle for a spot among the substitutes.
Jude Bellingham has started all of Real Madrid’s matches so far this season and given his form and importance to the team, Mourinho will not rotate him tonight against Elche.
Attack
Yan Diomande made his first start at Real Madrid last weekend against Rayo Vallecano but failed to make the best impression.
Meanwhile, Arda Guler was once again brilliant for Los Blancos after coming on as a substitute, making a strong case for him to be reinstated to the starting XI on the right wing.
As for the left side of the attack, Vinicius Jr. will retain his place, hoping to find his best form after a rather slow start to the campaign.
Kylian Mbappe, who has now scored six goals in La Liga this season, will spearhead the attack, hoping to end his run of seven months without scoring away from home in the league.
