It’s the home opener for Real Madrid, and you know what that means- the very first chance for the home fans to see Kylian Mbappe in a white shirt, during a competitive match. The sacrificial lambs for this match happen to be newly promoted Real Valladolid. And they’re catching Madrid at the wrong time too.
The reigning La Liga and European champions have a lot to prove in this one.
Real Madrid vs Valladolid FYIs
La Liga Fixture
Sun. Aug. 25, 5pm, Estadi Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Real Madrid Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Result Probability: Real Madrid 83% Draw 11% Valladolid 6%
La Liga Form, Standing: Real Madrid D, GD 0, 14th Draw 11% Valladolid W, GD +1, 5th
Coming off a disappointing draw in the season opener, they should be fired up here. Also, with Jude Bellingham now on the shelf four about six weeks, Madrid will want to prove that they are not a vulnerable squad right now.
This could be a match that is about more than just winning. It’s about sending a message.
Here is what we think the 4-3-3 that manager Carlo Ancelotti will go with looks like in this one.
Real Madrid Starting XI Prediction vs Valladolid
Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Fran Garcia; Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric; Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.
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 Linked In and Twitter.