Real Madrid Lineup Revealed: Key Players Rested for Benfica Showdown as Injury Crisis Looms Against Osasuna
Prior to Benfica's arrival at the Santiago Bernabéu for the Champions League playoff return leg, Real Madrid make the journey to Pamplona to take on Osasuna while sitting atop La Liga.
José Mourinho's squad will face a determined Madrid side on Wednesday evening, following the incidents that occurred in Lisbon. Gianluca Prestianni's alleged racist comments toward Vinicius Junior became the main talking point after the Brazilian led Madrid to a 1–0 triumph.
Álvaro Arbeloa will certainly be considering Wednesday's match when selecting his squad for Saturday evening's league encounter, but it's crucial that Los Blancos continue their strong form at the top of Spain's premier division.
They've established a solid rhythm under Arbeloa's guidance, and Madrid haven't lost this matchup since 2011.
Match Snapshot
Match Snapshot
Team News
Team News
Arbeloa is expected to make some changes between the two Benfica playoff matches, though Real Madrid's attacking stars, Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr, will likely keep their starting positions.
Nevertheless, Madrid are presently missing Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham through hamstring problems. Éder Militão remains unavailable as well.
Raúl Asencio can return to action after serving his suspension during Tuesday's opening leg in Lisbon.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Benfica
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Benfica
GK: Thibaut Courtois—The Belgian goalkeeper enjoyed a relatively calm evening in Lisbon on Tuesday, contrasting with his previous challenging visit to the Estádio da Luz. With Osasuna managing less than a goal per match in La Liga this campaign, Courtois might experience another peaceful afternoon.
RB: Dani Carvajal—Arbeloa might choose to maintain harmony by giving Carvajal the start, as he's recently expressed frustration about his limited playing time.
CB: Raúl Asencio—Asencio returns to Madrid's backline for Saturday's match but faces competition to retain his position, with Antonio Rüdiger now available again.
CB: Dean Huijsen—Despite some uncertain moments recently, Arbeloa is wise to continue supporting the young Spanish defender.
LB: Ferland Mendy—The French fullback returned to the matchday roster on Tuesday and might be prepared to give Álvaro Carreras some rest.
CM: Federico Valverde—Arbeloa is maximizing Valverde's adaptability, and the Madrid skipper might begin in the middle of the park on Saturday night.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The French midfielder could benefit from some rest, particularly with Arbeloa having other options available. Should he feature in the lineup, expect Tchouaméni to play around sixty minutes.
RW: Franco Mastantuono—Mastantuono should get his chance against Osasuna, having been rested during the midweek fixture.
AM: Arda Güler—A minor tactical adjustment should enable Güler to play in his preferred position behind the forwards.
LW: Vinicius Junior—While Vinicius Jr might be reserving his best performance for Wednesday evening, he'll undoubtedly be highly motivated in Pamplona.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—Though his attacking partner scored the decisive goal in Lisbon, Mbappé continues as Madrid's top scorer across all competitions. His goal secured victory against Osasuna in the earlier meeting this past August.