Matches
Rudiger, Guler start in a 4-3-3 – How Real Madrid can line up against RB Salzburg
Real Madrid will be looking to secure qualification to the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup when they face RB Salzburg in a high-stakes Group H match.
Both sides currently sit on four points each, with Real Madrid slightly ahead thanks to a better goal difference.
This game carries big importance, especially since only two teams can make it out of the group. A draw would be enough for Real Madrid to go through, but not enough to guarantee first place.
If they drop points and Al-Hilal beat Pachuca, the Saudi Arabian side could leapfrog them and finish top of the group.
This is a big night for Real Madrid. While a draw would be enough to move on, they will want to take all three points to stay in control and avoid facing stronger teams early in the knockout stages.
Let’s now take a look at how Real Madrid might line up for this key clash against RB Salzburg.
Defence
Thibaut Courtois is likely to start between the sticks once again. The Belgian remains the clear first-choice goalkeeper, with Andriy Lunin set to stay on the bench.
There is one major change in defence. Raul Asencio was sent off in the last game against Pachuca, so Xabi Alonso needs to shuffle his backline. Antonio Rudiger is likely to return to the starting XI and partner Dean Huijsen at the centre of defence.
On the flanks, Trent Alexander-Arnold should keep his place at right-back. He has had a decent tournament so far and is expected to continue. Fran Garcia will fill the role at left-back and is growing into the competition with solid performances.
Rudiger’s return also impacts other areas of the pitch, most notably the midfield.
Midfield
With Rudiger back in the heart of defence, Aurelien Tchouameni can return to his natural position in midfield. He will take up the holding role in front of the back four.
On either side of him, Federico Valverde—who is expected to wear the captain’s armband again—and Jude Bellingham will complete the midfield trio.
This setup means some big names will have to settle for a spot on the bench. Dani Ceballos, Luka Modric and youngster Chema Andres will all be hoping for some minutes later in the game.
Attack
Up front, the starting forward line is likely to feature Vinicius Jr., Arda Guler, and Gonzalo Garcia since Kylian Mbappe is still unavailable. This formation does not favour Rodrygo, who will likely start on the bench.
However, there is a possible alternate plan. If, for some reason, Rudiger does not start, then Tchouameni may be pulled back into central defence.
That would push Valverde into the holding role, Guler into midfield, and open up the right wing position, giving Rodrygo a chance to start.
Still, this looks like a backup plan and not the preferred one. All signs suggest that Real Madrid will go with their most stable and balanced lineup to get the result they need.
Not many saw the result that unfolded at the Estadio de La Cartuja last night coming, as Real Madrid slipped to a shocking 1-0 defeat to Real Betis.
Jose Mourinho made a couple of changes to his team on the night but fielded one of his strongest possible XIs, acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge Los Verdiblancos posed.
The first half ended scoreless, with the visitors completely dominating the flow of the game but failing to convert their chances. After the break, they only upped the ante and pressed higher to break the deadlock.
Almost against the flow of the game, however, Troy Parrott fired from very close range to put his side ahead through a set-piece, and Real Madrid had just ten minutes to find two goals.
A hard-fought ten minutes, a disallowed goal and a missed penalty later, however, the full-time whistle blew with Real Madrid staring at defeat.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid.
A first loss under Mourinho
Real Madrid’s lacunae were visible in the team’s first away clash of the new season when they took home a last-gasp win over Espanyol.
They looked comfortable at home, but it has always been clear that they are not invincible.
A first defeat of the season, in that sense, was always just a matter of time as the team continued to develop under Jose Mourinho, and that setback appeared early in the campaign last night.
The defeat to Real Betis at the Estadio de La Cartuja continued Real Madrid’s trend of struggling away from home and exposed the team’s lacunae to the world once more.
A lot can be said about the refereeing and how the result was harsh on Los Blancos, but the fact of the matter remains that a team with the talent that Real Madrid possesses simply has no excuses to look so blunt in attack.
Jose Mourinho’s men created chances in abundance on the night, but none of the team’s star forwards could effectively finish a single chance.
Kylian Mbappe had a rare off-night and even Jude Bellingham did not score from any of his three shots. Vinicius Jr., Arda Guler, Yan Diomande and Carlos Espi all had their chances, but all failed to bury even a single chance.
In the end, it can be called misfortune, but for Real Madrid to have made nothing of an xG of 3.46 and to miss a penalty in the same game has to be dug into. The players did not play poorly, but the lack of a lethal finish came back to bite them.
Mbappe’s controversial penalty
Real Madrid had a massive chance to salvage something from the frustrating night in the 94th minute when the referee awarded the visitors a penalty that would see them return to level terms.
Kylian Mbappe stepped up, and it was taken for granted that the Frenchman would score as usual. Astonishingly, however, Mbappe did not find the back of the net.
For starters, it must be said that the Merengues have no one to blame but themselves for the defeat to Real Betis, for they could not have had a clearer chance to steal at least a point away from the night.
However, there was a clear element of controversy in the spot-kick that must not be misinterpreted as an excuse.
At the precise moment that Mbappe struck the ball from the spot, a Real Betis player was half inside the penalty area with his foot in the air.
Had the player’s foot been on the ground, the penalty would certainly have been retaken, and had he been outside the area, the save would be deemed completely fair. His foot being airborne, yet inside the box, however, opens up a grey area.
The referee on the night believed that having the foot in the air did not warrant a retake, and saw Real Madrid lose their penalty.
However, there are strong grounds to claim that it should have been retaken as his foot being inside the box takes precedence over whether it was grounded or not.
Had the referee’s decision gone differently, one would have backed Mbappe to come good the second time and Real Madrid would have avoided the defeat.
Alvaro Valles deserves his flowers
For Real Madrid to create seven big chances, have 20 shots and an xG of 3.46, and yet not score is simply absurd. But it happened last night against Los Verdiblancos, and only one man stood in between Real Madrid and the scoresheet – Alvaro Valles.
The Real Betis goalkeeper delivered the performance of his lifetime as he stopped chance after chance and denied the visitors any sight of goal.
In 90 minutes, Valles made a staggering six saves, all of which came from inside the box, and prevented a direct xG of 2.98. In simpler terms, Real Madrid should have scored three goals past him with the quality of chances they had, but he directly stopped them all.
Further, Valles saved Mbappe’s penalty under the highest of pressure in a moment that was simply the crowning moment of his entire night.
On a different night, with a different goalkeeper, the outcome of the game could well have been very different.
Valles, however, deserves every bit of praise he is earning for his performance last night, and even Real Madrid fans have no option but to stand and applaud the shift he put in for ninety minutes.
