Real Madrid will host Celta Vigo in their final home match of the 2017/2018 campaign Saturday night. While the match holds no significant implications in the La Liga standings for either side, Real will want to close out the season with a victory in front of the Bernabéu crowd. Here are three things to watch for.
Isco’s possible return to the starting XI
Midfielder, Isco, has been out of the lineup for some time now due to a shoulder injury sustained in the first-leg of the Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich. Despite missing several matches in a row, the Spanish international is set to make his return to the lineup for this match.
Keep an eye on the ‘bandy-legged bandit’ and his role in this fixture. After returning to training late last week, he has gotten some good training time in before returning to live action.
I would be surprised if manager Zinedine Zidane put Isco in the starting XI considering the depth he has at his disposal. Plus, this is not an important match for Los Blancos.
All focus should be, and is, dedicated to the Champions League Final on May 26th. Zizou will want to have his prolific player 100 percent in Ukraine to face a talented Liverpool side.
Limiting risk
Ahead of the Clásico, Zidane said in his pre-match press conference that he was not worried about players getting injured.
Not 20 minutes into the match, Cristiano Ronaldo sprained his ankle while scoring the team’s first goal. This forced the talented forward off the pitch after just one half.
I am certain the gaffer will not make the same mistake today. There is absolutely no reason to risk some of the regular starters in this match. If someone is not feeling fit, they should not play. Plain and simple.
I think Zidane is a very intelligent manager and does a good job of keeping tabs on each of his player’s health and fitness status. He knows who should feature and who should not in the home finale.
Going out with a bang
While the match doesn’t have much significance in terms of league standing, it is important for this side to close out their home schedule with an incisive win. This has been one of the worst league campaign’s in recent memory for the club and they will want to try to dimish that anger from the fans with a resounding win.
Celta currently sits 12th in the league table and should not be a huge test for this side who has yet again made the Champions League Final. Celta managed to pull out a 2-2 draw against Los Blancos at home in early January in a match that the Merengues should have won.
Next: La Liga match preview: Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo
That cannot happen again here tonight.
Real needs to give the fans something to cheer about and be happy about heading into the summer. Nothing would be better than a dominating win over a mid-table side.
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