Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid starting XI against Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid have confirmed their starting lineup for the derby against Atletico Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano. In what promises to be a feisty encounter between the two local rivals, Carlo Ancelotti has opted to name his strongest possible XI to reclaim the top spot in La Liga.
Thibaut Courtois is the undisputed starter between the sticks for Los Blancos and retains his place against his former club.
The Belgian international is shielded by a backline comprising Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy, meaning new signing Antonio Rudiger has been omitted by manager Ancelotti. Militao’s return from injury is a major boost for Real Madrid.
There is a notable change in midfield as well, as veteran star Toni Kroos makes a return to the starting XI after being benched against RB Leipzig in the midweek UEFA Champions League encounter.
The German superstar pairs up along with Luka Modric and Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre of the park, meaning Eduardo Camavinga gets dropped to the bench.
Meanwhile, no changes are seen in the attacking unit as Ancelotti has stuck with the trio of Federico Valverde, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Jr, with Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio being options from the bench for the visitors.
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— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 18, 2022
Confirmed Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos, Valverde, Rodrygo, Vinicius.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
