Real Madrid continues the defense of their liga crown on Sunday afternoon when they welcome Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Despite Lemping Manchester City outside the Champions League in the middle of the week, things are not perfect for Madrid. They have won none of their last three toy games, with abandoned points allowing Barcelona to exceed them in the classification.
The victory at Girona’s house is of capital importance for their title offer and should be carried out relatively comfortably given the disappointing form on the Catalan side. Even without the suspended Bellingham Jude, Los Blancos should assert three points on Sunday.
Here’s how Carlo Ancelotti could line his camp against Girona.
GK: Thibaut Courtois – The old Chelsea cap would have expected being busy on Wednesday evening, but was rarely tested by the line before Man City. Girona is unlikely to call it too often in action.
RB: Lucas Vazquez – The return of Vazquez to the bench in the middle of the week means that Federico Valverde should return to the midfield on Sunday while Madrid is looking for a first white sheet in February.
CB: RAUL ASENCIO – David Alaba made a brief cameo against Man City, but will not be precipitated in the departure XI given his record of injuries. For the moment, the impressive ASENCIO should keep its place in the alignment.
CB: Antonio Rudiger – Raidger also returned against injuries against Man City and offered a characteristic performance against the title champions of the Premier League.
LB: Ferland Mendy – Fran Garcia was preferred during recent Liga outings, but with the Champions League qualifiers, Mendy could return to interior competition. He will be occupied by Livewire Viktor Tsygankov on Sunday.
CM: Federico Valverde – Valverde produced a completely right back display in the middle of the week, but will be happy to return to the comfort of the machine room. The unlimited energy of Uruguayan will be the key to the disappearance of Bellingham.
CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – Similarly to Valverde, the Frenchman will be grateful for his return to the midfield after having completed the central defender in the recent games. It was far from its best this term but always looks more comfortable in the center of the field.
CM: Dani Ceballos – Cealballos has been a surprise revelation in recent weeks and has served another catchy exhibition in Europe on Wednesday. He will dictate the tempo in his deep function.
RW: Rodrygo – Rodrygo has been overshadowed by his more glamorous attacking teammates since the beginning of the month, but he has always been contributed to Madrid’s success with his speed and ingenuity in the right side.
St: Kylian Mbappe – On Wednesday, an exquisite of hat reminded the world of which Mbappe remains capable despite a mitigated start of life in Spanish football. He has found a form in recent months and has scored 13 times in his last ten games.
LW: Vinicius Junior – The Brazilian did not score in his last six games, which is an important drought for a player of his capacities. He will want to put an end to this race against a Girona team struggling with defensive stability.
