Real Madrid, against Cádiz and the ‘FIFA virus’
Ancelotti’s men seek the leadership plagued by casualties against a rival in need
MADRID, 25 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid, once again punished by the ‘FIFA virus’, visits Cádiz this Sunday at the Nuevo Mirandilla (6:30 p.m./Movistar LaLiga) with the aim of attacking the leadership of LaLiga EA Sports, in a fourteenth matchday in which faces an opponent in need of points to avoid falling into the danger zone.
Once again, the national team break has taken its toll on the white squad; This time, the victims were Brazilian striker Vinícius Júnior, with a fibrillar tear in his femoral biceps; and French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, who tore his external lateral ligament.
The two absences are added to the long-term absences of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Brazilian defender Éder Militao and those of French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni and Turkish midfielder Arda Güler. In return, a certain player returns this season in the form of Englishman Jude Bellingham, while goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is already in the final stretch of his recovery.
Despite everything, Real Madrid has managed to recover and has it in its power to regain the top of the league standings, surprisingly in the hands of an outstanding Girona. With 32 points, Carlo Ancelotti’s men are just two behind the Catalans, who play on Monday in Montilivi against Athletic Club, which offers the white team the possibility of sleeping at the top.
Since losing more than two months ago to Atlético in the Madrid derby, the team has played ten consecutive games scoring points in all competitions, securing a place in the round of 16 of the Champions League and losing only in the league clashes against Sevilla at the Pizjuán (1-1) and Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabéu (0-0).
Now, before starting to fight for first place in Group C of the ‘Champions’ on Wednesday against Naples, they will have to defeat a Cádiz team that has only managed to beat them once in the 17 matches they have had; It was in October 2020, when a goal from ‘Choco’ Lozano was enough for the yellow team to assault the Alfredo di Stéfano.
Bellingham must emerge as the leader of a team in which, without Camavinga or Tchoauméni, the German Toni Kroos will occupy the pivot position; The Croatian Luka Modric and the Uruguayan Fede Valverde will accompany them in the center of the field, and up top the Brazilian Rodrygo and Joselu will be in charge of bringing danger to the area of the team with the lowest scorer in the category.
Opposite, Cádiz seeks to make a splash to try to get out of the bottom of the table. After eight league games without a win – since they beat Villarreal (3-1) on September 1 -, Sergio González’s men are sixteenth with 10 points, three more than the relegation zone, although with one less game due to the postponement of their duel against Mallorca.
The cup pass against Badalona Futur, against whom they needed a penalty shootout, has been the only joy in recent weeks for the Andalusians, who will go to the match against the Madridistas without the injured Romy Kouamé, Gonzalo Escalante, Luis Hernández and Fede Saint Emeterio.
Roger Martí and Chris Ramos will be the attacking duo of the Cadista team, where the Venezuelan Darwin Machís is a doubt for the start after returning later than his teammates from his stay with his national team.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS:
CADIZ: Ledesma; Carcelén, Chust, Javi Hernández, Pires; Alcaraz, Alcaraz, Navarro, Darwin Machís; Roger Martí and Ramos.
REAL MADRID: Lunin; Carvajal, Rüdiger, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo and Joselu.
–REFEREE: Cuadra Fernández (C.Balear).
–STADIUM: Nuevo Mirandilla.
–TIME: 18.30/Movistar LaLiga.