Predicted Real Madrid XI in the media for Mestalla trip
Real Madrid head into this 12th league matchday in flying form. The new Valencia under Aguirre are the next hurdle (Saturday 21:00) for Mourinho's side as they look to extend their seven-match unbeaten run across LaLiga and the Champions League.
Real Madrid C.F.
Mestalla has historically been a hostile ground and one that has often resisted the white club, but Madrid's fine form and the delicate situation Valencia CF are going through both on and off the pitch make Madrid clear favourites to take the three points. If they do, they would go to bed joint top, pending what happens in Sunday's meeting between Atletico Madrid (2nd) and FC Barcelona (leaders), a game the Madrid players will inevitably have one eye on.
The press predictions all point in the same direction. Mourinho was able to rest several of his starters in the Champions League and others such as Cucurella and Bernardo Silva were spared the closing minutes, a clear sign they will be involved on Saturday. Another major clue from Mourinho was the benching of Tochuameni, Konate, Huijsen- confirmed by the coach himself in his press conference as part of the XI to face Valencia- and Valverde. The five players mentioned are undisputed starters. The other five players the media are backing are too. In other words, they are predicting the strongest possible line-up, with the six players named above plus Courtuois, Guler, Bellingham, Diomande and Mbappe. They only see one possible change: Carreras coming in for Cucu. In terms of absentees, the Merengue club have the same ones as last week and the weeks before: Asencio, Mendy and Rodrygo.
La SER sees no room for experiments
Tchouaméni6.670.000€-430.000€6
MD
Arda Güler13.860.000€+890.000€12
MDThe match against AEK showed, among other things, that the best right-back in the squad is Valverde. The Uruguayan got the better of Dumfries and sealed the comeback with a stunning strike from outside the box. If there was ever a date and a game to rest players and make changes, it was in Athens, but the same does not apply in Valencia. The margin for error is zero given the head-to-head between Barca and Atletico Madrid in this same round of fixtures. To cut the gap and pile pressure on their main rivals, leaving Valencia with a positive result is essential.
So the imbalance and defensive lapses that were laid bare must be addressed. Tchouameni, Guler, Huijsen and Konate are key to that. The rest of the names will be the same as on Wednesday, with the exception of Vinicius. The Brazilian is serving the final match of his suspension... but his situation remains very much up in the air. He has been unable to rediscover his best form in the Champions League matches in which he has started and is now on a run of six games without either an assist or a goal. An unprecedented spell since he arrived in the capital in 2018.
La SER's starting XI: Courtuois; Valverde, Huijsen, Konate, Cucurella; Tchouameni, Bernardo Silva, Bellingham; Guler, Diomande and Mbappe.
Superdeporte believe Mourinho will keep all his aces up his sleeve
Bellingham15.680.000€-2.060.000€14
MD
Mbappé19.430.000€-3.420.000€13
DLFinishing second in the table just before this new international break is non-negotiable; it would seal a perfect month and a half and silence plenty of voices that doubted this project. To do that, Superdeporte - and despite playing on Wednesday and Saturday - believe the best XI will be out there. The rest given to many of them against AEK is also a clear statement of intent. A separate case is that of the players who played the full 90 minutes, such as Bellingham and Mbappe, and have been doing so regularly. Both the midfielder and the forward are having an outstanding season and physically they are flying. There is no reason whatsoever to even consider dropping them.
Diomande19.460.000€+370.000€13
DLCucurella is back to being the Chelsea version of himself and Valverde is back to being the best Valverde. They will both start. As will Courtuois, who is taken for granted every matchday. After getting up to full fitness and beginning to feature in the Portuguese coach's plans, Bernardo Silva has established himself as the ideal partner for Tchouameni. It was obvious that the Frenchman is the lungs of this Madrid side, but his absence in the Champions League underlined that reality even more. Up front, the three places are spoken for, and for a while too: Arda Guler and Diomande on the flanks and Kylian Mbappe leading the line as he looks to keep adding to his goal tally (12 goals, three behind the Pichichi leader, Raphinha).
Superdeporte's chosen line-up: Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Tchouameni, Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler, Bellingham, Diomande; and Mbappe.
RCDM drop Valverde and hand his place to Trent
Alexander-Arnold1.640.000€6
DF
Fede Valverde9.160.000€+50.000€-
MDFor the Palma-based outlet, the Dumfries- Trent rotation is back in play. Both have shared the minutes both with Valverde absent and when the captain was part of the double pivot. As Denzel started in Europe, the Englishman should do so on Saturday. The rest of the back line is made up of Cucu, Konate and Huijsen. No one doubts Courtois in goal. In midfield, RCDM make no changes to the players selected, but they do believe Bernardo Silva and Bellingham will swap positions. The Portuguese, usually the holding midfielder, would move into the No 10 role, while Bellingham would take charge of ball progression alongside Tchouameni.
Guler will return to the right wing. The Turk has to play because of his ability to make a difference both out wide and in midfield. The Diomande- Mbappe partnership is starting to take on a long-term feel. Yan is beginning to justify the expectations around him. Especially when he plays on the left, which is once again within reach because of Vinicius' enforced absence. The African has another chance to cement himself as the perfect partner for Mbappe and for the Frenchman to show Mourinho once again that with him, the understanding is spot on. In goal, nobody is shifting Courtuois, who was also key in Greece against the home side's early onslaught.
RCDM protagonists: Courtuois; Trent Alexander- Arnold, Huijsen, Konate Cucurella; Tchouameni, Bellingham, Bernardo Silva; Guler, Diomande and Mbappe.
Comuiate questions Cucurella's place in the XI
Cucurella6.580.000€-260.000€7
DF
Álvaro Carreras1.770.000€+150.000€-
DFThe safe pair of hands is Thibaut Courtuois. Marc Cucurella is starting to carry a significant workload in his legs. The Catalan, who empties the tank in every match, has played all seven games apart from the second half against Villarreal. Sharing the flank with Diomande has eased his defensive workload and therefore his physical exertion, but this may be a good chance to give him a rest. It should not be overlooked that with Spain he will play most of the minutes, while Alvaro Carreras, his natural replacement, is not in the squad and will have more time to recover. For Comuniate, either of the two being chosen at left-back is to be expected. Completing the defence, Mourinho's starters and the names in the fans' minds: Konate, Huijsen and Valverde. The build-up would once again go through Bernardo Silva; the defensive work through Tchouameni. Diomande would return to the left - where he is at his best and most effective -, Guler to the right, and Bellingham would be the link between midfield and attack. Mbappe, the focal point up front.
Comuniate's starting XI:
Follow all the fantasy information on our WhatsApp channel
Recent Post
