Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid starting lineup against Elche
Real Madrid will hope to cut the deficit from Barcelona to eight points at the top of the table as they host Elche at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight. Carlo Ancelotti has made some changes from the starting lineup that took on Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup final.
Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out due to injury, giving way to Andriy Lunin to make another start in the league. He will be guarded by Eder Militao and David Alaba in central defence, with Antonio Rudiger delegated to the bench.
Daniel Carvajal and Nacho have the responsibility to provide width from the back.
Toni Kroos will miss the game due to health problems, while Luka Modric has been rested. As such, Dani Ceballos starts in central midfield alongside Federico Valverde. Eduardo Camavinga gets a start in his natural position in defensive midfield.
Ancelotti has opted to use Marco Asensio as the right-winger, while Rodrygo starts on the left in the absence of the suspended Vinicius Jr. Captain Karim Benzema retains his place as the striker.
📋✅ Our starting XI 🆚 @Elchecf_en! #RealMadridElche pic.twitter.com/FfYmWRd4Dx
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 15, 2023
Confirmed Madrid XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Nacho; Valverde, Camavinga, Ceballos; Asensio, Benzema, Rodrygo
Before he was hired by Bayern Munich as the direct replacement for Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel was closely linked with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The German tactician had kept a close eye on the development at Santiago Bernabeu, especially with coach Carlo Ancelotti facing immense pressure following the club’s poor performances in domestic competitions.
A recent report from Jorge Picon has offered more details on the Tuchel saga, suggesting that the coach was even learning Spanish during his time at Ibiza, anticipating a potential move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
There were even contacts made between Tuchel’s entourage and Real Madrid. Although the talks were positive, the two sides were not able to reach an agreement.
Real Madrid did not guarantee him the job. They had informed Tuchel that Ancelotti may continue at the Bernabeu in the event the club win the UEFA Champions League this season.
This bit of uncertainty played a critical role in convincing Tuchel to join Bayern Munich instead. The former Chelsea boss was hired as a direct replacement for Nagelsmann, who was sacked after a poor season in the Bundesliga by the club’s high standards.
However, Tuchel’s move to Bayern appears to be a missed opportunity on the German’s part, as Real Madrid have recently intensified their search for a new manager.
It is clear that the club’s hierarchy is yet to reach a consensus over the future of Ancelotti, with some believing that a change is necessary come the end of the season. In fact, the club’s president Florentino Perez has been an admirer of Tuchel’s compatriot Nagelsmann.
The coaching prodigy is one of the candidates to replace Ancelotti in the summer, though it is Mauricio Pochettion who is reportedly leading the race so far.
