Real Madrid: 5 players who must shine against Valencia

Real Madrid need these five stars to stand out against Valencia on Thursday.

Although Real Madrid defeated Eibar 3-1 after a phenomenal first half, they didn’t leave fans completely confident in the title race after struggling in the second half. Pedro Leon gave a hobbled Real side some issues upon his inclusion in the second half, and while Real held on, they know they must be stronger against Valencia.

Los Blancos drew Valencia 1-1 in December, but they will need to grab all three points on Thursday at the Alfredo Di Stefano. Here are five players who need to shine in order for Real to get the desired result.

CAM Isco

Real Madrid will likely line up Isco as a center attacking midfielder, and he should draw the start after not fitting into the tactical system against Eibar. Isco, Eden Hazard, and Karim Benzema are the three keys to success for Los Merengues’ attack, which can be exceptional when these stars are firing on all cylinders.

In the Spanish Supercup semifinals, Isco was certainly clicking in Real’s impressive 3-0 victory to avenge their last-gasp draw with Valencia in December. Isco was one of Real’s most in-form players before La Liga had to be postponed, and he’ll be itching to prove that he’s still a major asset to Zinedine Zidane in the title race.

There’s no doubt that Zidane has full confidence in his playmaker.