Real Madrid will return to La Liga action this Saturday night with a home match against struggling Leganes.
Currently second in the league, just behind Barcelona due to head-to-head records, Real Madrid are in a strong position. Leganes, on the other hand, sit 18th, tied on points with 17th-placed Alaves as they fight to stay in the top tier of Spanish football.
Real Madrid, with 18 wins, six draws, and four losses from 28 games this season, have accumulated 60 points. This puts them just behind Barcelona, who have the advantage in their head-to-head matchup. However, Barcelona does have a game in hand, playing Osasuna on Thursday night, so Real Madrid could find themselves three points behind the leaders by the time they take the field against Leganes.
Carlo Ancelotti's squad heads into this match on the back of a 2-1 win over Villarreal, where Kylian Mbappe scored twice. That victory made it four consecutive wins for Los Blancos in all competitions. Real Madrid are eyeing a treble in the final stretch of the season, with a Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal and a Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Real Sociedad coming up.
While they haven’t always been at their best this season, Real Madrid remain in a strong position to add more silverware to their collection.
In terms of home form, Real Madrid are the best in La Liga, having earned 34 points from 13 games at the Bernabeu. In contrast, Leganes have struggled on the road, managing only 10 points from 14 away matches this season.
Leganes have already faced Real Madrid twice this season. In November, they lost 3-0 in the league, and in February, they were defeated 3-2 in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Historically, Leganes have never beaten Real Madrid in La Liga, with seven losses and two draws in their nine encounters. The last time the two teams met at the Bernabeu was in October 2019, when Real Madrid triumphed 5-0.
Leganes will likely be fresher heading into this match, as several of Real Madrid's key players have been on international duty.
Leganes did start March with a 1-0 win over Getafe, but they’ve since lost two straight matches against Celta Vigo and Real Betis. Currently 18th in the league, they’re level on points with Alaves, while struggling to replicate their early-season form. However, Borja Jimenez's side, reigning champions of Spain’s second division, will take some confidence from their surprising 1-0 win over Barcelona earlier in the season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Real Madrid will once again be without long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao due to injury. However, both players are making good progress, and there’s hope they could return before the end of the 2024-25 season.
Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos, and Jesus Vallejo will also miss the match, but there are no new injury concerns following the international break. Key players like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham are all available for selection.
Vinicius and Antonio Rudiger are set to return to the starting lineup after beginning on the bench against Villarreal, while Fran Garcia is likely to keep his place at left-back with Mendy still out.
Mbappe will be looking to add to his impressive tally of 31 goals across all competitions this season.
For Leganes, Enric Franquesa remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury. Diego Garcia and Yvan Neyou are both doubts, with their availability dependent on late fitness tests.
Dani Raba, who scored twice against Real Betis before the international break playing as a centre-forward, is expected to start in that position again this weekend, with Miguel de la Fuente likely to start on the bench.
Juan Cruz, who scored twice against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey earlier this season, will continue in his wide position. The 24-year-old has had an impressive campaign, registering seven goals and four assists in 32 matches.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Leganes possible starting lineup:
Dmitrovic; Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, J Hernandez; Cruz, Rodriguez, Tapia, Cisse, Brasanac; Raba
EXPERT PREDICTION
Real Madrid 3-0 Leganes
