Real Madrid are aiming to get all three points when they take on Real Valladolid in La Liga on Saturday night but this time they’ll have an eye on the UEFA Champions League match against Atalanta in midweek that they need to also focus on. However, it doesn’t look likely that Zinedine Zidane will be making any major rotations for either match.
Goalkeeper
In goal, Thibaut Courtois will be looking to continue on his consecutive clean sheets which could be three matches if he doesn’t concede on Saturday. The Belgian has been one of our most consistent players this season and it’s clear how much the Los Merengues squad trusts him.
Defenders
Dani Carvajal returned for the match against Valencia last week and was taken off injured. The right-back was replaced by another returnee in Lucas Vazquez who did well and will be wanting to build on that as he’ll probably also start in the Champions League match against Atalanta. In the center, Raphael Varane will be partnered with Nacho Fernandez who looks like the clear third choice for Zidane at the moment. On the left, Ferland Mendy will continue and will want to build on some extremely strong recent performances.
Midfielders
There are no prizes for guessing the three midfielders that Zidane is predicted to go with but it will be intriguing to see how they get through the week. Carlos Casemiro will start in defensive midfield and even though he hasn’t been having the greatest of seasons, he has looked a lot better recently. In front of the Brazilian will be the dependable duo of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos who continue to somehow find ways to roll back the years.
Forwards
Real Madrid’s front three are also going to be quite predictable due to the injuries the team is currently going through. Marco Asensio will start on the right flank with Vinicius Junior on the left. Both players need to take the opportunities given to them at the moment and while Vinicius is showing it well, Asensio will need to show more. Neither player can be comfortable in their positions as they have some tough competition returning from injury soon.
Also add to that the continued news of Real Madrid wanting to find ways to bring Kylian Mbappe and Erling Braut Haaland to the team, it just adds to the pressure. Up front, Karim Benzema will definitely want to continue on a couple of strong performances ahead of the UEFA Champions League as well.
Full Predicted Lineup
Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Raphael Varane, Nacho Fernandez, Ferland Mendy, Carlos Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Marco Asensio, Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema