Since El Clasico was postponed until December, Real Madrid were able to spend the weekend with no matches, which will do a lot for their fitness and capabilities as Zinedine Zidane now prepares his squad to take on the last-placed La Liga team in Leganes.
It’s true that Real Madrid had time to rest their players, but that doesn’t mean that things will be any easier as they now prepare for three matches in a week. The two La Liga games are against Leganes and Real Betis, while Real will also take on Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League next week. The good news is that all three matches will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having said that, I don’t expect Zidane to do a “Mallorca” this time around, as he has seen what the consequences are when you underestimate an opponent. Therefore, this is what I predict we’ll be seeing on Wednesday night.
Thibaut Courtois:
Our starting goalkeeper, and there is no reason why he wouldn’t be a starter on Wednesday. He had a very good game against Galatasaray last week, and hopefully that will help increase his confidence as the season goes on.
Dani Carvajal:
With Alvaro Odriozola suspended, Dani Carvajal will be the starter on the night regardless of whether Zidane wants to rotate a few players around or not. The Spaniard has not been at his best so far this season, but he has shown glimpses of getting himself back to form. A good showing against Leganes can go a long way.
Raphael Varane:
Since there is no real need to rest players, this means that Zidane shouldn’t rely on rotations or take any chances. Eder Militao has been very good whenever called upon, but if you can play your best two center-backs, then there is no reason not to.
Sergio Ramos:
A definite starter on the night as our captain has shown time and time again that he brings a lot to the table whenever he’s picked. Sergio Ramos should start the match regardless of who the other central defender will be on the night.
Ferland Mendy:
Putting aside rotations, Ferland Mendy has not yet gotten a chance to play since his return from injury and playing him against Leganes will not hurt Real Madrid in any way. It’s very clear that the manager prefers Marcelo at the moment, but if we’re to be honest here, Mendy is the better left-back in the team and deserves to get more minutes on the pitch.
Carlos Casemiro:
Probably the biggest reason why I’m happy El Clasico was postponed is Carlos Casemiro. The Brazilian has been playing two games a week and traveling to Brazil for the past few months and desperately needed some time to rest. He has gotten it now and hopefully he can be back to his best, as we could clearly see some fatigue from him in the last couple weeks.
Toni Kroos:
Arguably our best player against Galatasaray, Toni Kroos should start on the night. He has shown how good he truly is this season and has reached the heights we expected from him after a disappointing year. The German is an important asset to this team.
Luka Modric:
Not the choice I would have personally gone for, but knowing Zidane, Luka Modric will start alongside Toni Kroos. The Croatian has returned from injury and will want to prove himself again, especially with Federico Valverde showing that he’s definitely up for the job at any given moment.
James Rodriguez:
Gareth Bale has returned from injury but doesn’t seem like he’ll be fit enough to start. Personally, I’ll have to go with James Rodriguez on the right even though there is always that possibility of Lucas Vazquez or Vinicius starting there instead. Who knows? Maybe Rodrygo Goes will be given the nod twice in a row?
Eden Hazard:
Needs to start the game as he continues to improve. He looked a lot better against Galatasaray but he’s still far from being the Eden Hazard that Real Madrid need him to be. The Belgian knows what is required but he will need to play as often as possible to reach the form the team needs him to be in.
Karim Benzema:
I think this will be a great chance for Luka Jovic to start but I doubt Zidane will take that risk. Karim Benzema is by far the better striker and Los Blancos need the three points. Depending on how the match goes, we’ll probably see the Serbian come on during the second half.