It’s time to resume the Spanish Cup action, where Real Madrid meets Fuenlabrada – a small city on the outskirts of Madrid. Fuenlabrada will travel to the Bernabéu tonight for their second leg in the Copa Del Rey round of 32. Below are the three things to watch out for in this match.
Zinedine Zidane’s squad selections
A bunch of factors will determine who will take the field tonight from Real Madrid, below are a few:
- Injury Status: Zidane has said that Bale will return from injury and will play tonight, the minutes have not been decided though. It seems like a fair call to bring him back for a lesser intensity game. All reason dictates that Bale should never be rushed back in, especially given how fragile he has been lately. Let’s see how long he remains uninjured this time. Mateo Kovacic is also likely to play the full 90 minutes. Zidane does not want to take a risk with Sergio Ramos, who is expected to return against Bilbao. Marco Asensio is back in training, but will most likely not take the field against Fuenlabrada. Keylor Navas is expected to return to action.
- Rotation Policy: Zidane had rested almost the entire first team for the first leg of this tie. He should be mindful that Madrid had just edged past Fuenlabrada in that match – the first half was goalless and the two second-half goals were from penalties. Does it make sense to make too many rotations and run it too close? Would it be good for the already diminished morale of the team? Should Ronaldo and Benzema play to build rhythm and confidence, or should they be rested for more important fixtures? Zidane needs to make that call.
- Youth galore: A bunch of young players are expected to get some playing time tonight. Madrid fans are getting increasingly furious with Zidane for not giving enough minutes to Dani Ceballos, who has shown promise and skill in the limited time that he has managed to play. Whether he gets a start tonight or not is yet to be seen. The likes of Marco Llorente and a few Castilla players like Alvaro Tejero, Manu Hernando, Luismi Quezada, Jaime Seoane and Oscar Rodriguez are also expected to be included in the squad. Interestingly, Castilla recently played Fuenlabrada in their league and came up with a strong defensive performance.
What to expect from Fuenlabrada?
Fuenlabrada's GK Freixanet: "Any player at Real Madrid is the best in the world. Playing at the Bernabeu is one of everyone's dream. There wasn't a feeling they battered us, it was just 2 penalties. We are talking about a team that has won 6-0 in UCL a week ago [laughs]." pic.twitter.com/xm5o2fLsQj
— M•A•J (@UltraSuristic_) November 27, 2017
- Bernabéu dream: There was a sense of thrill and madness in the Fuenlabrada camp when they were drawn against Real Madrid. The exact word being used there is ‘locura.’ Most Fuenlabrada residents have grown up to be Real / Atletico fans. Their stadium is named after Fernando Torres, who is the most famous son of this small town, but has never played for them. For them, getting to step on the pitch at the Bernabéu to face Los Blancos is the stuff of dreams. And yet, they will be doing just that tonight. Whether the occasion and emotion will overcome them is yet to be seen.
- Some good talent on display: While they may be playing in the Segunda B in Spain, they do have some skillful players like Milla and Dioni Villalba. Zidane should have a Plan B in place in case things go awry, something he has been guilty of not having all through this season.
How badly does Real Madrid want to win Copa Del Rey?
It’s not much of a secret that the Copa has not really been a priority for Real Madrid, and the Madridistas alike. It is reflected in the number of titles that they have won (lesser than Barcelona) and the fan reaction when Madrid crashes out of the same. Of course, the Clásicos in the Copa have a different feel to it. And there is some fascination with the treble. But the order of priority for the fans and the club is quite clear: 1) Champions League 2) La Liga and 3) the rest.
Real Madrid to their season ticket holders: "By the choice of the club, we have expressly communicated to all fan groups that voluntary cession of your ticket for this match [Fuenlabrada] will result in the compulsory cession of your ticket for the Madrid-Barca on December 23." pic.twitter.com/vYjwiZ4Fmt
— M•A•J (@UltraSuristic_) November 27, 2017
However, given the current situation, the Copa may be more important than it has historically been for Los Blancos:
- The league title is a distant dream. While it is mathematically possible to still win it, and there is still a long way to go, it is a fact that La Liga is Barcelona’s to lose and not the other way around. So, the Copa may be the best shot that Madrid may have to win a trophy this season in Spain.
- It is the only competition that Zidane has not won yet. It seems weird, given that he has only been at Madrid for less than 2 years now, but the Frenchman has managed to win every other trophy available to him.
Overall, the Madrid fans will be expecting something to the tune of their last CL victory, a score-line of 6-0 or better. And Fuenlabrada would mostly be looking to live out their dream.
Next: Real Madrid’s Copa Del Rey round of 32 match a perfect time for squad rotation