Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Sevilla: Diomande Primed to Start With Vinicius Jr Out

It’s been a strange week for Real Madrid. Los Blancos have won both matches since the international break, but have not been fully convincing in either.
Last weekend’s 1–0 win over Villarreal was dominated by talk of Vinícius Jr’s red card, while José Mourinho’s men eventually recovered from 3–1 down to earn a spectacular 4–3 victory against Roma in the Champions League midweek.
With the return to domestic action this Sunday, Madrid would surely be keen for a nice, routine win over Sevilla with zero excess drama.
Leaving the Bernabéu with all three points this weekend will also ensure Madrid don’t lose any more ground on league leaders Barcelona prior to the Clásico on Oct. 25.
Here’s how Real Madrid could line up to face Sevilla.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Sevilla

GK: Thibaut Courtois—Courtois got only his second clean sheet of the season last weekend against Villarreal.
RB: Denzel Dumfries—Dumfries has started seven of 10 Real Madrid matches so far this season and could well keep his starting berth ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has struggled to find favor with Mourinho.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—The summer signing has established himself as first-choice option, when available, and is likely to start at the heart of the defense against Sevilla.
CB: Dean Huijsen—After serving his domestic suspension last weekend, Huijsen is in line to return to La Liga action on Sunday.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—Marc Cucurella struggled to contain Roma’s Wesley midweek and has endured mixed start to the season more generally. He could rotated out for Carreras here, with Mourinho mixing up his full back selections.
CM: Federico Valverde—The midfield combination has been a source of some concern for Madrid fans this season (and before), but captain Valverde tends to start when fit.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The Frenchman came off after 70 minutes against Roma—prior to the stunning comeback—and should be fresh to start this weekend. Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva are also pushing for starts.
RW: Arda Güler—The 21-year-old Türkiye international has been arguably Madrid’s best player this season and offers the kind of line-breaking passes and creative nous that no-one else provides in this team. He ranks second for big chances created in La Liga this season.
AM: Jude Bellingham—After a strong start to the season, Bellingham now hasn’t contributed a goal or assist since the 4–1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sept. 12—five games ago.
LW: Yan Diomande—With Vinícius Jr serving the first of his four-match ban, Madrid’s record signing—and last week’s match-winner—will surely start and stake his claim for a regular spot in the lineup.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—Mbappé is now just five goals away from 100 Real Madrid strikes; a truly phenomenal return after little more than two seasons.

Andy Headspeath is a Real Madrid correspondent for Sports Illustrated FC. Originally from the UK, the weather, culture and soccer lured him to Spain over a decade ago where he lives with his wife, son and two untrainable dogs. A player of unspeakably limited talents and only one fully functional knee, he has more than a decade's experience in a wide variety of editorial roles within sports media, from match reporting to in-depth feature writing and interviews. He specializes in soccer history and culture, as well as—of course—La Liga.