Real Madrid News
Real Madrid veteran a leading contender to start against Malaga
According to MARCA, Real Madrid veteran defender Antonio Rudiger has a strong chance of starting later today when the team take on Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After Germany were eliminated in the first knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on penalties against Paraguay, the senior centre-back went on holiday early. That allowed him to be involved in Mourinho’s plans from the very beginning.
Yet, with the third league matchday approaching, he remains the only fit first-team outfield player, aside from the seven injured players, who has yet to feature.
In line to start vs Malaga
Aware of the importance of making a strong start, the Portuguese tactician has wanted the centre of his defence to be a position of strength.
As a result, Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen started both the matches against RCD Espanyol and Real Sociedad.
They are among the five players who have played all 180 minutes of the La Liga season so far. The others are Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde and Kylian Mbappe.
However, that could change today as Rudiger is seen as one of the leading candidates to start against Malaga.
After Mourinho named the same XI in the opening two matches, his plan is now to make changes, and the former Chelsea defender is well placed to finally make his league debut under the new manager.
A trusted soldier for Mourinho
Having Rudiger available without playing him is a low-risk decision. The German is a soldier, exactly the kind of player coaches value both on the pitch and in the dressing room.
At Real Madrid since the summer of 2022, he has become one of the most influential voices in the squad.
Rudiger does not need to be an automatic starter to command respect. When he speaks, everyone knows that he is speaking as one of the leaders of the dressing room.
After a season plagued by physical problems, the 33-year-old had some doubts about renewing his contract with Los Blancos. He ultimately decided to stay, in large part because Mourinho considers having a player with his personality in the squad a major asset.
The German is accustomed to playing more than 40 matches a season, but last year he managed only 26. It was a campaign in which injuries repeatedly disrupted his season.
That became a major problem for Real Madrid, especially with Eder Militao also struggling for fitness, David Alaba no longer performing at his previous level, Huijsen suffering a significant drop in form and Raul Asencio disappearing from the picture.
With the centre-back position now strengthened by Konate, having Rudiger back at the level he has consistently shown since arriving in Madrid would be excellent news for Mourinho.
For now, he simply needs to take the first steps and collect his first competitive minutes of the season.
Real Madrid’s adventure so far under new coach Jose Mourinho has been far from perfect and this fact shouldn’t be lost even after the team’s brilliant comeback win over AS Roma in midweek.
However, there are areas where Los Blancos have shown a clear improvement under Mourinho, when compared to previous bosses such as Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
One of those areas has been set plays, with Real Madrid appearing far more potent from set pieces this season.
A clear improvement from last season
As reported by Diario AS, the three goals in Rome, all from Arda Guler corners inside a seven-minute blitz, were the perfect advert for the work being done at Valdebebas.
Those strikes took Real Madrid’s set-piece tally to seven goals in just ten matches this season. Four of them have come in La Liga, one from a corner and three from free kicks, with the trio in Rome completing the haul.
It is a striking figure when set against last season’s return. Under Alonso and Arbeloa, Madrid managed 12 set-piece goals across the entire campaign, all in La Liga, split evenly between six from corners and six from free kicks.
On current trends, this side looks well placed to surpass that number comfortably.
The reason behind Real Madrid’s improvement
Attacking set pieces are led at Valdebebas by Pedro Machado, with the whole coaching staff involved and Mourinho himself giving the final green light on every routine.
Defending them, meanwhile, falls to Sami Khedira, though it is treated as a collective effort. Mourinho’s appreciation of that teamwork was clear when Bellingham headed in a Guler free kick against Espanyol, prompting the manager to leap up and embrace his assistants.
Machado, one of Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants, has followed him from Fenerbahce to Benfica and now Madrid, part of a backroom team blending experience with young, ambitious talent.
On the pitch, Guler is the undisputed master when available, his left foot the key weapon, with Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold and even Diomande also trusted to initiate attacks.
Such meticulous strategy has helped Real Madrid turn into a potent side from set-pieces this season.
