Matches
Mastantuono, Endrick start in a 4-3-3 – How Real Madrid can line up against CF Talavera
Real Madrid begin their Copa del Rey journey for the season tonight when they take on RFEF Primera Division side CF Talavera away from home.
Having managed to secure temporary relief from pressure with a victory over Deportivo Alaves in La Liga over the weekend, Xabi Alonso will be eager to get off to a winning start on his Copa del Rey debut.
After all, a misstep against a third-division club could end up costing the 44-year-old Basque tactician his job.
Alonso goes into the game bolstered by the availability of Alvaro Carreras, Fran Garcia, and Endrick, all of whom are available after missing the Alaves clash due to suspension.
Meanwhile, David Alaba has also returned to training, although it is unlikely that he will be ready to return.
Rodrygo has not suffered an injury and will be available, but the likes of Federico Valverde, Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, and Dani Ceballos could be rested. Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Ferland Mendy remain unavailable.
So, there may be minutes for some young talents coming through the Castilla ranks and trained with the first-team squad in recent days. With that in mind, here’s how Real Madrid could line up against Talavera in the Copa del Rey Round of 32 clash.
Defence
Andriy Lunin is all set to make a rare start in goal for Real Madrid in the cup competition ahead of Thibaut Courtois, hoping to secure a clean sheet.
Meanwhile, like Victor Valdepenas over the weekend, there will be a new debutant for Los Blancos tonight as 21-year-old starlet David Jimenez appears set to make his maiden appearance at right-back, allowing Raul Asencio and Federico Valverde a break.
Dean Huijsen, who returned to action over the weekend, will occupy one of the centre-half positions, with Alvaro Carreras expected to partner him against the minnows. Fran Garcia will complete the Real Madrid backline, replacing Valdepenas.
Midfield
Dani Ceballos would have been a contender to start, but his absence from training on Tuesday due to a stomach bug has cast doubts over his availability.
While youngsters Thiago Pitarch and Jorge Cestero are options, Alonso will have to be mindful of the fact that he can use a maximum of four players registered with the reserve team – one of which will be taken up by Jimenez.
As such, Aurelien Tchouameni is expected to keep his place in the starting XI, occupying the deepest of the three midfield slots for Real Madrid.
Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham could, thus, be included in the lineup from the start by Alonso, in the hope of killing the tie at the earliest possible so that they can be given a breather in the second half.
Attack
Franco Mastantuono has had to bide his time since recovering from his pubalgia problem, but appears set to finally get his opportunity tonight against CF Talavera. The Argentine wonderkid, registered as a reserve player, will also occupy one of the four slots, along with Jimenez.
Meanwhile, Endrick could make his first-ever start under Xabi Alonso, having only played two games so far this term. It may end up being his final one before he leaves for Lyon on loan in the January transfer window.
The Brazilian international will line up as the No. 9 for Real Madrid, with Gonzalo Garcia expected to be the third forward, occupying the left flank from where he will look to drift centrally.
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.
