Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face Liverpool
Real Madrid have officially announced their final squad that will take on Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Following a disastrous start to the UCL campaign, this is a must-win game for the reigning European champions.
However, the challenge has been compounded by a series of injuries, with Vinicius Junior becoming the latest casualty.
The Brazilian is set for a three-week spell on the sidelines and has been omitted from the squad against Liverpool.
However, on a positive note, Lucas Vazquez has made the squad even though a total of seven Real Madrid stars were reportedly set to miss the trip to Anfield due to injuries.
📋✅ Our squad for the match!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 25, 2024
🆚 @LFC#UCL pic.twitter.com/7icPnnJYEF
With Vinicius and Rodrygo missing, Real Madrid have called up Gonzalo Garcia in their squad against Liverpool. Raul Asencio, too, has made the squad and looks likely to start alongside Antonio Rudiger in central defence.
Dani Ceballos is a notable entrant to the squad list, though the onus will be on Arda Guler to make all the difference in midfield, especially following a brilliant performance in the last game.
Given the dearth of options, Real Madrid’s starting lineup appears to be quite predictable, with Ancelotti unlikely to tinker much with the team that secured a win over Leganes.
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho has full faith in his current Real Madrid lineup despite derby defeat
Real Madrid’s hopes of keeping pace with league leaders Barcelona suffered a massive blow when they slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby.
Although the game made headlines for controversial refereeing calls, the overall performance from Real Madrid made it evident that the team is not yet ready to compete with Barcelona.
Real Madrid’s problems have been further compounded by the confirmation of Federico Valverde’s injury, with the midfielder set to miss two weeks of action.
Mourinho retains faith in the lineup
Despite the derby defeat, however, Mourinho has retained full faith on the current lineup, as reported by MARCA.
Indeed, the Real Madrid coach keeps his confidence in the squad fully intact, believing the team has the quality to ultimately fight for every trophy on offer.
It appears Mourinho’s observations in day-to-day training at Valdebebas has been promising. He and his staff believe the team is still under construction and take for granted an evolution in the team’s performances in the coming matches.
The six-point gap is significant, particularly with Barcelona offering an image of enormous reliability, but Mourinho and his team are adamant the squad has the resources to turn things around.
Decisions to ponder over the break
The international break offers Mourinho time to reflect, even if he will be unable to work collectively with his squad for the next two and a half weeks.
His chief immediate concern is that his internationals return healthy to Valdebebas ahead of Real Madrid’s next fixture against Villarreal on October 10.
Tactically, the midfield is the main area under review, with the Valverde-Tchouameni pairing lacking creativity in the build-up.
That could increase the case for Bernardo Silva as an option in many matches, particularly against defensive sides.
Mourinho’s broader philosophy, however, is that there is no fixed eleven or untouchable starters, as he believes his squad offers different profiles suited to different types of games.
