Carlo Ancelotti's squad had a shaky start to their league campaign, managing only a 1-1 draw against Mallorca in their opener. In contrast, Real Valladolid celebrated their return to La Liga with a 1-0 victory over Espanyol at home.
Though Real Madrid recently claimed the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 win over Atalanta BC on August 14, their La Liga opener didn’t go as planned. Rodrygo put the reigning champions ahead early with a beautiful curling shot in the 13th minute, but Mallorca equalized through Vedat Muriqi in the 53rd minute, and the match ended in a draw.
Real Madrid will be eager to notch their first domestic win of the season on Sunday. After this game, they’ll face Las Palmas and Real Betis before the September international break.
Despite rumors, Ancelotti has confirmed there won’t be any more signings before the transfer window closes, even though Jude Bellingham is sidelined for a month due to injury. With Kylian Mbappe and Endrick as their only summer acquisitions, Real Madrid is still considered the team to beat in La Liga, despite the shaky start.
On the other hand, Real Valladolid will be full of confidence after their 1-0 win over Espanyol, with Raul Moro scoring the decisive goal in the 23rd minute. Under the guidance of Paulo Pezzolano, who led them to a second-place finish in last season’s Segunda Division, Valladolid is now focused on staying competitive in the top tier.
Valladolid had a busy transfer window, bringing in 10 new players, including Juanmi Latasa on a permanent deal and Mario Martin on loan from Real Madrid. Despite losing Monchu, the team has retained most of its key players and added some quality, giving them a solid foundation for the season.
However, Valladolid faces a daunting challenge against Real Madrid. They’ve lost their last five league meetings with Los Blancos, including a 6-0 thrashing in April 2023. In fact, Valladolid has been defeated in 13 of their last 15 La Liga encounters with the Madrid giants, highlighting the uphill battle they face on Sunday.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Real Madrid received some tough news as Jude Bellingham is set to be out until the end of September due to a leg injury. He’ll be joining David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga on the injured list.
Adding to their woes, Ferland Mendy is also sidelined after picking up a red card against Mallorca, so Fran Garcia is expected to step in at left-back. Luka Modric will likely take Bellingham’s spot in midfield.
Aside from these changes, the lineup should be similar to the one that faced Mallorca, with Rodrygo, Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior leading the attack, and Aurelien Tchouameni holding down the midfield.
On the Real Valladolid side, Anuar Tuhami is still out with a hernia and isn’t expected back until early September. However, Andre Ferreira is available again after serving a suspension, and Kenedy might recover from a fitness issue in time for the match. Despite these potential returns, head coach Paulo Pezzolano is likely to stick with the same lineup from their first game of the season.
Mamadou Sylla, who scored eight league goals last season, is set to lead the attack once again, with Moro and Amath Ndiaye supporting him from the wings in a 4-5-1 formation.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Modric; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Real Valladolid possible starting lineup:
Hein; Perez, Sanchez, Boyomo, Rosa; Ndiaye, Perez, Comert, Amallah, Moro; Sylla
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Real Madrid 4-0 Valladolid
