Real Madrid will look to finish the season on a high with a win over Real Sociedad in what will be Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric’s final outing at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Italian manager and the Croatian midfielder are set to leave the club at the end of the season and everyone involved will try to ensure they get the perfect farewell.
The home team are certain to finish second on the points table irrespective of the result in this fixture as they have 81 points in their 37 outings. Los Blancos are eight points clear of the team in third.
The defeat to Barcelona in the Clasico ended their title hopes but following that, they have won their last two outings and will be hoping to make it three in a row against Sociedad.
The visitors haven’t been at their best this season. They are currently 11th on the points table with just 46 points in their 37 outings. They will be hoping to break into the top ten with another win but it certainly won’t be easy.
Prior to their win over Girona last time out, Sociedad had failed to win any of their last six league fixtures. While the win in their previous fixture will give them much-needed confidence, they will have to punch above their weight to take down the team in white.
The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Jude Bellingham who picked up a yellow last time out is suspended from Ancelotti’s farewell match. Meanwhile, the Italian remains without the services of Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal.
Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo will all be assessed ahead of the fixture. Meanwhile, Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric are both expected to start in their final fixture at the Bernabeu.
The team in white will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Andriy Lunin could continue in goal. Vazquez and Fran Garcia should be the full-backs with Raul Asensio and Aurélien Tchouaméni starting in the heart of the defence.
Arda Guler and Dani Ceballos could feature out wide on the flanks in midfield, while Federico Valverde will partner with Luka Modric in a more central role.
In the final third, Endrick could once again start alongside Kylian Mbappe.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Vazquez, Asensio, Tchouameni, F Garcia; Guler, Valverde, Modric, Ceballos; Endrick, Mbappe
The visitors might be without the services of Nayef Aguerd, Sheraldo Becker and Orri Oskarsson as all three are major doubts for this fixture because of injury. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Aihen Munoz is back after serving a suspension.
Sociedad will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Alex Remiro will be in goal. Hamari Traoré and Aihen Munoz will be the full-backs for them, while Aritz Elustondo will partner with Igor Zubeldia in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Martin Zubimendi will partner with Pablo Marin. The duo will look to shield the backline and ensure they do not let Madrid midfielders dominate the proceedings.
Takefusa Kubo and Ander Barrenetxea will feature on the flanks. They will look to provide much-needed width to their attacks. Brais Mendez will take up the number ten role with Mikel Oyarzabal leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Remiro; Traore, Elustondo, Zubeldia, Munoz; Zubimendi, Marin; Kubo, Mendez, Barrenetxea; Oyarzabal
Mbappe had a slow start to life in Madrid. The French international wasn’t really at his best in the initial weeks and he was criticised a lot for his performances. He might have found it difficult to get going but the 26-year-old has certainly turned things around.
He is set to finish as the top scorer in the league having found the back of the net on 29 occasions in his debut campaign. Overall, he has been involved in 54 matches across competitions and has contributed towards 44 goals (40 goals, 4 assists). Given the kind of form he has been in, the French skipper will certainly have a say on the end result of this fixture.
Real Madrid are expected to give it their all to come out on top in this fixture against Real Sociedad. With Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric bidding farewell to the Santiago Bernabeu, the atmosphere will be emotional yet electric, and the players will be determined to give them a fitting send-off.
Despite a few injury setbacks and Bellingham’s suspension, the hosts have more than enough quality to get the job done. Meanwhile, Sociedad might have snapped their winless run last time out, but their struggles away from home have been a concern all season long.
They have lost half of their games on the road, and taking down a motivated Real Madrid side in their own backyard will certainly be a tough task. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
