The Whites from Madrid will be going on a trip to Valencia to face the Bats. The Spanish giants have made a winning start to their UCL campaign but have a dreadful record playing at Mestalla, having won just once in the last seven seasons.
Real Madrid will have a grinding task against the home side, who occupy the second spot in the La Liga table. Jose Bordalas’s men gave stunning performances in the opening games of the season, having collected 10 points from the possible 12. Valencia possesses great attacking talents, having the likes of Carlos Soler, Daniel Wass, Denis Cheryshev, and Goncalo Guedes in their squad, who can unsettle any defense.
Gareth Bale, Toni Kross, Ferland Mendy, Marcelo, and Dani Ceballos will be missing the trip to Valencia due to injury. Real Madrid will be hoping to fix their defensive woes after the inclusion of David Alaba in the squad. Los Blancos will be having four games in quick succession, so Carlo Ancelloti will have to manage his players meticulously to avoid any further injuries.
Real Madrid and Valencia are yet to be defeated in all competitions this season, so both the teams will go all out to keep their momentum.
Here is our predicted Real Madrid XI for the game against Valencia:-
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
The galactico was phenomenal against Inter Milan in the opening UCL match and will be growing in confidence. The Belgian is assuredly one of the predominant players in the squad.
Defenders: Miguel Gutierrez, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal
Miguel is likely to start against Valencia after not making it to the lineup in Milan. The La Fabrica product will have a grueling task going up against Carlos Soler and Guedes. The youngster has proved himself with spectacular performances in the absence of Marcelo and Mendy.
Alaba is expected to solve the defensive issues for Los Blancos with his experience and leadership on the pitch. Ancelloti told the media that the Austrian would mostly play in his preferred center-back position under him.
Eder Militao will possibly pair up with Alaba at the center of the defense. The Brazilian will have to be at his absolute best to thwart both Guedes and Maxi Gomez.
The Spaniard is rock solid defensively but needs to improve going forward. Carvajal needs to be precise with his passes and avoid any sloppy passes.
Midfielders: Luka Modric, Casemiro, Federico Valverde
Valencia’s side is tough to break down, so Madrid will need their maestro in the squad. Modric has got to the age of 36 and is still one of the essential players in the squad, so the Italian boss will have to manage his minutes carefully.
Casemiro’s physicality is crucial in the middle of the park against the Bats. The Brazilian has looked tired in the last couple of games and is yet to give his best performance this season. The midfielder needs to be entirely focused on the game to avoid any misplaced passes.
Valverde is again gaining his form and growing in confidence after a quiet last season. The Uruguayan injects pace in midfield and is very unshakable on the ball.
Attackers: Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard
Vinicius has been a standout performer for Madrid in recent games producing phenomenal performances. Vini has already scored four goals and provides a threat to the opposition every time he has the ball.
Benzema is the leading top scorer of La Liga this season with five goals. The Frenchman is never out of form and always has an eye for a goal. The No. 9 has already scored six times against Valencia in the last five games.
Hazard needs to prove himself to Ancelloti that he deserves to be in the starting XI. The Belgian is yet to produce his best performance for Madrid and will be hoping to grab each and every opportunity that he gets.
The game will be played on Monday (12.30 a.m. IST) at Mestalla (Valencia’s home Stadium).
