Arbeloa Set to Make Explosive La Liga Debut as Real Madrid Clash with Levante
Merely three days following their stunning Copa del Rey elimination, Real Madrid return to La Liga competition as they welcome 19th-positioned Levante this Saturday.
Fresh manager Álvaro Arbeloa endured a disastrous debut match leading his former team. Los Blancos fell 3–2 to second-division Albacete, crashing out of the Copa del Rey at the round of 16 stage, adding to worries about Xabi Alonso's abrupt exit and the club's current situation.
The positive aspect of this humiliating defeat is that many of Arbeloa's elite players remained in Madrid, enjoying essential rest before returning to the Bernabéu this weekend. Despite such chaos, Real Madrid must avoid dropping points against a faltering Levante to maintain pressure on league-leading Barcelona.
Arbeloa cannot rely on injured players Rodrygo, Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy. However, Kylian Mbappé has resumed team training and earned selection for Saturday's encounter.
Here's Real Madrid's potential formation against Levante for this La Liga fixture.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Levante (4-2-3-1)
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Levante (4-2-3-1)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—Had the Belgian goalkeeper been defending against Albacete, Real Madrid likely would have secured victory. Courtois will make a welcome return to goal on Saturday.
RB: Federico Valverde—Valverde only avoids starting at right-back if Arbeloa takes the risk of selecting recently recovered Dani Carvajal, who has played just 13 minutes over the past three months.
CB: Raúl Asencio—With Rüdiger unavailable, Asencio maintains his central defensive position, where his physical presence could prove decisive against Levante.
CB: Dean Huijsen—The Spanish defender has struggled to impress since returning from injury in the new year and would certainly lose his starting position if the team wasn't dealing with so many defensive injuries.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—As the campaign continues, Carreras increasingly appears to be the standout among Real Madrid's four summer acquisitions. The full-back should easily exploit Levante's vulnerable flank during counter-attacks.
DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The French midfielder will be pleased to return to his natural position after Alonso deployed him at center-back during the Spanish Super Cup final.
DM: Eduardo Camavinga—Camavinga's defensive intensity, pace and ability to disrupt opponents in transition earns him the starting spot beside his compatriot.
RW: Arda Güler—Until Rodrygo's return, Güler fills the right-wing position. The Turkish talent was the standout performer during the team's midweek loss.
AM: Jude Bellingham—Real Madrid desperately needed Bellingham's creative spark in attack on Wednesday night. The English midfielder holds the key to reviving the team's struggling offensive play.
LW: Vinicius Junior—The Brazilian's campaign has been marked by unpredictability. Vinicius Jr dominated against Barcelona before disappointing against Albacete. Arbeloa requires the elite version of his star winger to show up on Saturday.
ST: Gonzalo García—Gonzalo enters this match with six goal contributions across his previous four outings. Unless Mbappé is completely healthy and prepared to start, the Spanish forward will spearhead Los Blancos' attack at the Bernabéu.
