Real Madrid vs Valencia: Predicted Lineup For La Liga Match
Real Madrid host Valencia this Saturday in what is sure to be a hotly contested La Liga clash. Madrid had to come from behind to beat Leganes last weekend - with Kylian Mbappé scoring the first direct free-kick of his career to seal the win.
Real Madrid sit second in La Liga with 63 points, just three behind fierce rivals Barcelona - who host Real Betis tomorrow night.
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— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 29, 2025
Long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao remain sidelined, although there are some doubts over who may play in the goal. Andriy Lunin played midweek in the Copa Del Rey semi-final with an injury - suffering a tear in his soleus muscle - and could be out for up to four weeks but could take an injection to ease him through the Valencia game.
Madrid also hope to have Thibaut Courtois back in time for the Champions League fixture against Arsenal, the first leg of which is on Tuesday.
Here is how Madrid could line up on Saturday against Valencia:
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Valencia (4-3-3)
GK: Andriy Lunin - Rather than start the inexperienced Fran González, throwing him in at the deep end at a moment's notice - I think it’s likely both Ancelotti and Madrid will choose to gamble on Lunin’s fitness and hope he can nurse his way through the game and recover once Courtois is back in the side.
RB: Lucas Vazquez - The stand-in right-back has been a staple in recent Madrid sides, and his experience complements the youth of the right-sided center-back very well to give a nice blend of attributes in the defense.
CB: Raul Asencio - Asencio has a new deal reportedly on the table, and the young center-back continues to go from strength to strength. He received his first call to the senior Spain team and was on the bench for their game against the Netherlands in Valencia. There is no reason for his development not to continue here.
CB: Antonio Rudiger - The German scored the winning goal in Tuesday’s crazy Copa del Rey game - and I’m sure he’ll start here having been rested initially in midweek. He is Madrid’s pillar at the back, even more so during Eder Militao’s continued absence from the side.
LB: Fran Garcia - Garcia was rested initially on Tuesday but played excellently against Leganes and should be reinstated to the team here unless Carlo Ancelotti opts for Eduardo Camavinga instead. It's a tough call, but I think Garcia deserves a starting berth.
CM: Federico Valverde - Real’s Uruguayan diamond should start in his natural central midfield spot. Still, having played 120 minutes on Tuesday and with another huge clash next week against Arsenal, he may only play 60 or so minutes before being replaced. However, I simply think he is too good not to start, and Madrid always seem to look worse off when he doesn’t play.
CM: Luka Modric - The ageless midfielder is practically an alien at this point. Modric is 40 in September but plays as if he is still 25. He only played 42 minutes on Tuesday, so he may come in for Aurelien Tchouameni to give the Frenchman some extra recovery time after he played the full two hours midweek.
CAM: Jude Bellingham - Despite the fixtures coming thick and fast at the moment, Bellingham seems right in his groove and possesses all the attributes to go again. He has played seven games for club and country in the last month and looked good in all of them. Bellingham scored midweek and grabbed a last-minute winner in the return fixture against Valencia.
RW: Rodrygo - The Brazilian was rested in midweek and will start here, barring a surprise. A vital part of the Madrid front four despite the other three taking most of the limelight (through no fault of their own).
ST: Kylian Mbappé - Anyone who doubted the Frenchman or called him a flop in his first few months has been silenced. At times, it seems he’ll never stop scoring, and he currently has 33 goals in his first 46 Madrid games—no better response to his critics.
LW: Vinicius Junior - Vinicius Jr. is one of Madrid’s star men and so easy on the eye. He completes the trident, and the Valencia defense will have their work cut out, keeping him quiet.
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Dylan has been a sports journalist for over four years, working in both print and digital. He also works as a stadium announcer for Crawley Town FC in the United Kingdom. He covers Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG On SI.
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