Real Madrid get to return to the Bernabéu for the first time in a month on Sunday evening, where they will take on Celta Vigo.
After a nightmare November for Xabi Alonso’s men in which they dropped points in three consecutive league matches, Los Blancos bounced back with a dominant 3–0 win over Athletic Club on Wednesday night. Now, only one point separates Barcelona and Real Madrid atop the La Liga standings.
The Spanish giants will hope to follow up their stellar performance at San Mamés with a similar result in front of a home crowd, though they will be shorthanded for the clash. Trent Alexander-Arnold is set for a lengthy layoff with a quad injury, joining Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy in the infirmary.
Eduardo Camavinga, Dean Huijsen and David Alaba also remain doubts for Sunday’s match, forcing Alonso to once again deploy a makeshift backline.
Here is how Real Madrid could line up against Celta Vigo.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Celta Vigo (4-2-3-1)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—The Belgian was spectacular against Athletic midweek and will hope to record a consecutive clean sheet for the first time in over a month.
RB: Raúl Asencio—Without a natural right back available, Asencio is in line to reprise his emergency fullback role. Fede Valverde is also an option, but he is likely needed in the midfield.
CB: Éder Militão—As long as he remains healthy, Militão will continue to lead Alonso’s defense.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—Since his return from injury, Rüdiger has brought some much-needed stability back to Real Madrid’s backline.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—Fresh off snagging his first assist in a white shirt, Carreras will once again look to link up with Vinicius Jr and Mbappé in the final third.
DM: Federico Valverde—After a few failed experiments on the right wing, the Uruguayan returns to the middle of the park to replace the injured Camavinga.
DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—Tchouaméni will make his 165th appearance for Real Madrid in Sunday’s clash. The France International’s services will be called upon to stifle Celta Vigo’s counter attack.
RW: Arda Güler—The 20-year-old returns to Alonso’s XI after being dropped against Girona. Güler has struggled to find consistency ever since returning from the November international break.
AM: Jude Bellingham—The No. 10 is always at the heart of Los Blancos’ attack, but his work rate is also second to none on the team.
LW: Vinícius Júnior—In the middle of a 10-game goal drought, Vinicius Junior comes into this weekend’s clash desperate to find the back of the net.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Celta Vigo: Mbappe Chasing Club History.
