Matches
Carvajal, Vinicius start in a 4-3-3 – How Real Madrid can line up against Real Sociedad
Real Madrid are back in action tonight as they get set to take on Real Sociedad in Matchday 24 of the 2025/26 La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Despite not being in the best of form, the Merengues have won seven matches in a row in La Liga, which has allowed them stay within one point of leaders Barcelona.
And with Hansi Flick’s men not playing until Monday night, Real Madrid have an excellent opportunity to go to the top of the table with a win today and put pressure on their rivals.
However, it will be anything but straightforward, considering that Real Sociedad have been on a strong run of form under Pellegrino Matarazzo.
La Real are currently on an 11-game unbeaten run across all competitions, which includes a league win over Barcelona and a cup victory over Athletic Club in the semi-final first leg.
The reverse fixture saw Real Madrid pick up a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad despite being reduced to ten men. Alvaro Arbeloa & co. will be hoping to bag another three points tonight and here’s how the manager could set his team up at the Bernabeu.
Defence
Thibaut Courtois has been one of Real Madrid’s most consistent performers this season and will continue to be a permanent fixture in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, there is set to be a major change in the defensive line as Dani Carvajal is expected to start at right-back. Having been fit for over a month, the club captain has barely featured under Arbeloa. But he is finally expected to get his opportunity.
On the opposite side, Alvaro Carreras will continue to operate as Real Madrid’s left-back.
Meanwhile, Raul Asencio, having recovered from his flu, should continue to pair up with Dean Huijsen at the heart of the defence. Antonio Rudiger, however, is expected to get some minutes at some stage in the game.
Midfield
There could be a notable change in the midfield unit as well, with Federico Valverde likely to be rested keeping an eye on the upcoming game against Benfica.
It could pave the way for Arda Guler to start in the centre of the park, where he will be tasked with providing the creativity and vision. After all the noise surrounding him due to claims from his former coach, the Turkish international will be eager to perform on the field.
Guler is expected to be paired up with the French duo of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, with the latter gaining prominence in the team under Arbeloa.
Attack
Moving up ahead, Real Madrid will welcome Vinicius Jr. back to the team after he is available again having served his one-match ban against Valencia. The Brazilian will take his place on the left flank of the attacking unit as usual.
Kylian Mbappe, who has recovered from some minor knee discomfort, will spearhead the Merengues attack, aiming to add his tally which stands at 38 goals this season.
With no Rodrygo due to injury, Franco Mastantuono should get another opportunity to nail down his place on the right flank.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
