Real Madrid aims to recover from a 1-1 draw in their opening La Liga match against RCD Mallorca as they prepare to host Real Valladolid at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday. Kylian Mbappe is anticipated to make his first home appearance for the team, having only played in the UEFA Super Cup and the Mallorca draw so far. Coach Carlo Ancelotti is not overly concerned with the team’s slow start, but he recognizes the importance of not dropping too many points, especially with Barcelona having secured an opening win.
Valladolid, on the other hand, began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over RCD Espanyol, placing them fourth early in the season. Despite the fact that many dynamics will shift in the following games, only four teams achieved wins in their opening matches, and Valladolid was among them. However, they will face a challenging schedule ahead, with matches against Barcelona, Real Sociedad, Sevilla, and Mallorca before the end of September.
Match Details:
Date: Sunday, August 25 | Time: 11 a.m. ET
Location: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
TV: ESPN Deportes | Live stream: Fubo (free trial available)
Odds: Real -700; Draw +700; Valladolid +1800
Last Time Out:
Los Blancos are desperate for their first win of the 2024-25 La Liga season following their draw against Mallorca. Although they recently celebrated a win over Atalanta that showcased Mbappe’s first goal, they faced reality when Vedat Muriqi equalized Rodrygo’s strike during the game on the island. Valladolid secured their opening points with a solitary goal from Raul Moro against Espanyol.
Team News:
For Real Madrid, David Alaba remains sidelined but is close to returning after the October international break. Eduardo Camavinga is expected to miss until the end of September due to injury, complicating matters for Ancelotti as Ferland Mendy is suspended following a red card received in the Mallorca match. Camavinga is not likely to be available until next week’s match against Las Palmas.
Projected Real XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Vazquez; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vini Jr.
Valladolid’s coach Paulo Pezzolano has integrated multiple new players such as Stipe Biuk, Victor Meseguer, Juanmi Latasa, Raul Moro, Amath Ndiaye, Stanko Juric, Andre Ferreira, Eray Comert, and Karl Hein into the squad. Hein, Comert, Moro, and Ndiaye have so far made significant contributions to the starting lineup.
Projected Valladolid XI: Hein; L Perez, Sanchez, Boyomo, Rosa; Ndiaye, K Perez, Comert, Amallah, Moro; Sylla.
Prediction:
Real Madrid is expected to bounce back from their recent performance and secure their first win of the season. Rodrygo has already made a strong impression, demonstrating that he cannot be overlooked in favor of Mbappe or Vinicius Jr. Ancelotti will aim to maximize the potential of both stars. A confident prediction places Real Madrid winning the match 2-0 against Valladolid.