Following a magical night in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid will look to build the pressure on league leaders Barcelona with a win over Elche on Saturday night. With the Catalan giants not in action until Sunday, Los Blancos have an opportunity to narrow the gap down to just one point for now.
The home team are second on the table with 63 points in their 27 outings. They have won 20, drawn three and lost four league games so far. While Real Madrid have taken control of the title race previously, they could not survive at the top. Two straight defeats against Osasuna and Getafe once again brought Barcelona into the driving seat.
Los Blancos returned to winning ways against Celta Vigo, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of an emphatic 3-0 win over Manchester City. They are the out-and-out favourites to win the game against Elche.
Meanwhile, the visitors are fighting for survival in the Spanish top flight. They are 17th on the table with 26 points in their 27 outings. Elche are just one point clear of the drop zone with just 11 games to go. They have been winless in their last ten league outings.
They suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Villarreal in their last outing. While they dominated the proceedings, Elche were not clinical enough. The relegation-threatened outfit are unlikely to get too many chances against Real Madrid, and if they fail to make it count, they will once again find themselves on the wrong side of the result. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
After being forced out at half-time against Manchester City, Ferland Mendy is now a doubt for this fixture. Meanwhile, Real Madrid remain without the services of Kylian Mbappe (knee), Dani Ceballos (calf), Jude Bellingham (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL), and Eder Militao (hamstring) ahead of the visit of Elche.
Meanwhile, Alvaro Carreras (calf) and David Alaba (calf) are doubts for this outing. Alvaro Arbeloa will certainly make a few changes to their starting XI. Real Madrid will continue to line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will continue in goal. Dani Carvajal and Fran Garcia should be the full-backs for this one, while Raul Asencio should pair up with Dean Huijsen in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, hat-trick hero Federico Valverde will partner with Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre of the park. The trio will look to run the show and ensure Madrid stamps their authority on the game early.
Arda Guler will take up the number ten role, while Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz are expected to be the ones leading the line for Real Madrid against Elche this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Courtois; Carvajal, Asencio, Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni; Guler; Vinicius Junior, Brahim
The visitors remain without the services of Hector Fort (shoulder), while Pedro Bigas and John Donald are both major doubts. Elche will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, where Matias Dituro will take charge in goal.
Victor Chust will start alongside David Affengruber and Leo Petrot in the heart of the defence. The trio will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will receive significant support from Josan and German Valera, who will take charge as the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Marc Aguado will partner with Aleix Febas in the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will have a lot of defending to do, and they will be looking to create opportunities to hit Real Madrid on the break.
Martim Neto will be the attacking midfielder for the away team, while Andre Silva will pair up with former Real Madrid star Alvaro Rodriguez in the final third for Elche this weekend.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Dituro; Chust, Affengruber, Petrot; Josan, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Neto; A Silva, Rodriguez
Guler is certainly loving life under Alvaro Arbeloa, as he has been a constant feature in their starting XI. While he might not have the limelight at Real Madrid, the 21-year-old is certainly putting in some impressive performances on a consistent basis.
So far, the young playmaker has been involved in 42 games in all competitions, and he has racked up over 2,700 minutes of first-team action. While he has only found the back of the net on three occasions, the Turkish gem has 13 assists to his name. He will be eager to add to his tally against Elche on Saturday.
Real Madrid will head into this fixture full of confidence after their impressive win in Europe and will be eager to maintain the momentum in the league. Playing at the Santiago Bernabeu against a struggling Elche side, Los Blancos are expected to dominate possession and create plenty of opportunities in the final third.
Elche are fighting for survival and will try to stay compact and frustrate the hosts for as long as possible. However, given their poor run of form and Real Madrid’s attacking quality, it could prove to be a very difficult night for the visitors.
If the home side manages to find an early breakthrough, they should have enough firepower to seal a comfortable win. The Hard Tackle predicts a dominant 4-1 win for Alvaro Arbeloa and his charges.
