No doubt what the main headline is on Saturday when Real Madrid host Cadiz in a league fixture- the return of Thibaut Courtois. The true No. 1 for Real Madrid is finally healthy again, after overcoming two separate injuries, one in each knee, this season.
He’s expected to make the matchday squad, and this clash is perfect for him to ease into it.
Real Madrid at Cadiz FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. May 4, Estadi Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
La Liga Standing, Form: Real Madrid 1st, 84 pts, WWWWW Cadiz 18th, 26 pts, DLLWL
Google Result Probability: Cadiz 10% Draw 16% FC Barcelona 74%
That’s because every La Liga match from here on out is dead rubber, and the stakes are low. Carlo Ancelotti will rotate the squad for this and every domestic affair from here on out, with an eye focused squarely on the Champions League semifinal tie with Bayern Munich.
Team News
There is nothing at all to cover here- David Alaba remains out for the season with an ACL injury, and no one else is hurt.
Starting XI Prediction
Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernandes, Eder Militao, Eduardo Camavinga; Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos; Brahmin Diaz, Arda Guler, Rodrygo; Joselu
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.