A few hours before the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 between Real Madrid and Atlético, Carlo Ancelotti has already announced his official line-up. Before the club’s announcement, here’s what the starting eleven could look like for the Madrid team.
After the remarkable victory against Manchester City, Real Madrid will have a tough task ahead against their Madrid rivals. Struggling in La Liga for the past few weeks, the Madrid team will aim to prove they remain unshaken in the Champions League. While the match against Atlético Madrid appears balanced on paper, things are not looking good for Carlo Ancelotti, who will have to do without several key players like Jude Bellingham (suspended) and Dani Ceballos (injured). In a press conference on Monday, the 65-year-old coach gave hints about what his line-up might look like.
Return of Asensio and Valverde in defence
After leaving Raúl Asensio out of the match against Real Betis on the 26th matchday of La Liga last Saturday (2-1 defeat), Carlo Ancelotti indicated that the young defender would be included in the likely starting eleven. Continuing to discuss the defence, where concerns remain over the right-hand side, the Madrid coach was very clear. In the absence of Federico Valverde, who will be in the squad after missing three matches due to an adductor issue, Ancelotti stated that Lucas Vázquez would be the right-back.
Based on the latest information from Madrid, it is more likely that Valverde will start the match, as he trained with the team on Monday evening. If this is confirmed, it would be very good news for Real Madrid, as nothing has been going right with Lucas Vázquez in big matches this season.
In midfield, where there are significant absences, Eduardo Camavinga is expected to hold his place. Despite Marca reporting a back issue for the French midfielder, the Madrid coach also confirmed on Monday that he should play. Without a doubt, Aurélien Tchouaméni will be the number 6 for Real Madrid against the Colchoneros. The current question is whether Luka Modric or Brahim Diaz will complete the midfield trio. However, after last Saturday’s performances, the veteran Croatian is well placed to retain his spot.
The attacking trio of the probable line-up
As for the rest, no surprises are expected, as Carletto has confirmed that he will start his three big stars: Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo Goes. Lacking inspiration in La Liga last weekend, the Madrid forwards will need to show great seriousness in defence and great unselfishness in attack. To hope for qualification to the Champions League quarter-finals, they must win the first leg at home. Ideally, they should do so with a two or three-goal advantage.
Thibaut Courtois – Ferland Mendy (left-back), Antonio Rüdiger, Raúl Asensio – Federico Valverde (right-back) – Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric – Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo Goes, Kylian Mbappé.
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