Pacheta’s men have lost just half their 14 games thus far and currently sit in the 12th spot on the table. And Valladolid warmed up for the Real Madrid game with a 5-1 win in Copa del Rey last week.Real Valladolid vs Real Madrid live
Real Valladolid
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Masip; Fresneda, Fernandez, Javi Sanchez, Escudero; Perez, Mesa, Aguado; Plano, Leon, Ivan Sanchez
Real Madrid
Unlike his counterpart in the Real Valladolid dugout, Carlo Ancelotti barely has any fitness issues to contend with ahead of the trip to Estadio Jose Zorrilla. The Real Madrid manager will be without just one first-team player on Friday.
Mariano Diaz is recovering from a minor ankle injury and will likely be unavailable to take on Real Valladolid. Otherwise, Ancelotti has a full-strength squad at his disposal, with all the players who featured at the 2022 FIFA World Cup back in training.
Thibaut Courtois will be desperate to set the record straight after a disastrous World Cup campaign with Belgium. Real Madrid will line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him, with Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, and Dani Carvajal completing the defensive unit.
Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga are in the travelling squad. But the trio has barely trained with the rest of the squad and will likely be the substitutes on Friday. So Dani Ceballos, Federico Valverde, and Toni Kroos should complete the midfield unit.
Karim Benzema endured a month from hell during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But the Real Madrid captain has since retired from international football and will hope to put his injury woes behind him. Benzema will spearhead the Real Madrid attack against Real Valladolid. And Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior should complete the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Junior
Key Stats
- Real Valladolid have failed to win their last 13 games versus Real Madrid in La Liga (D2 L11), and they could establish their longest winless run against them in the competition should they fail to win this match.
- Real Valladolid have won three of their last five games in La Liga (L2), as many as in their previous 30 matches in the competition (D12 L15).
- Real Madrid have kept only two clean sheets in La Liga 2022/23 (W11 D2 L1), equalling their lowest tally at this stage of the season in the top-flight in the 21st Century (two in 2008/09).
- Federico Valverde has scored six goals in La Liga this season from an Expected Goals tally of 2.2 – the biggest positive differential for a player in the competition this term (minimum three goals scored).
- Sergio Leon has scored five goals in 13 games in La Liga 2022/23, two more than in his three previous seasons in the competition combined (three strikes in 66 appearances). He has netted in two of his four matches against Real Madrid in the top-flight (two goals in total).
Player to Watch
Karim Benzema
Benzema has not had a good time thus far this season, apart from winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or. The veteran striker was coming off his best-ever season and would have liked to lead the line for France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But fitness issues have been a nightmare for Benzema this term.
In addition, he does not share a good rapport with a few members of the French national setup. So Benzema unsurprisingly ripped the bandage by calling it a day in international football a few days ago. The Real Madrid captain will now be determined to lead Los Blancos to more glory this season, starting with the game against Real Valladolid.
Prediction
Real Valladolid 0-1 Real Madrid
The visitors have been vulnerable at the back this season. So Pacheta’s men might fancy their chances on Friday. But Real Madrid will still be too strong for Real Valladolid on Friday. And The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 1-0 win for Carlo Ancelotti’s charges, who will face a battled-hardened Valladolid defence.
Real Valladolid vs Real Madrid live
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