Real Madrid is officially out of the Copa del Rey after Celta de Vigo defended their lead at home. Now at a low point mentally and in terms of luck, they must bounce back and not let La Liga get out of their hands as well. They will face Real Sociedad, the current fifth-placed team. While they aren’t very strong away performers, grabbing their rival after this big blow can make it an interesting and challenging evening.
Preferred Lineup: 4-3-3
Zinedine Zidane’s control of the lineup isn’t as firm as before. Casemiro as a center back wasn’t a particularly good experiment. Danilo doesn’t manage to leave behind whatever’s keeping him from shining. The only good news is that Varane is recovered and will be available for this match. If things aren’t redirected, the fate of the two remaining competitions could get complicated.
GK: Keylor Navas
Indeed clean sheets are a thing of the past. It’s understandable that a team goes through a rough patch and results aren’t always positive. Nevertheless, conceded goals ended the Copa run and the UEFA Champions League could be in jeopardy.
Defense
RB: Lucas Vázquez
It’s strange that Danilo ended up playing once again. The Brazilian continued his affair with bad luck with an own-goal. It doesn’t seem like he can be trusted so the #17 will stand in during this injury streak.
CB: Raphaël Varane
He’s the light in all the darkness of the crowded injured list. Casemiro wasn’t made to be a center back, meaning if Varane is healthy, he’ll play. Pepe should be back soon enough to give him a hand.
CB: Sergio Ramos
The captain must also do his part in keeping his teammates strong mentally. When problems pile up, the lack of a strong commander makes things worse. His goals would come in handy given the attackers’ current state.
LB: Nacho Fernández
Marcelo’s injury was just as expected and he’ll be out for quite some time. Given that Coentrão has only played three matches since he came back to the Bernabéu, Nacho can make himself at home.
Midfield
RCM: Mateo Kovačić
Isco didn’t make a particularly good impression on Wednesday. This doesn’t do him any good ahead of this clash. The Croatian provides more of a balance when it comes to helping out in the back and creating in the front.
CM: Casemiro
It was a desperate move, despite having Castilla youngsters ready to play as center backs. The midfield is where he belongs and he’ll be the right guy to block any sort of advances by Sociedad men.
LCM: Toni Kroos
The German keeps on playing, yet it’s clear the midfield trio isn’t the same without Luka Modrić. He’ll have to wait a bit more, but not too long for his partner to fully recover from his minor injury.
Attack
RW: Marco Asensio
He could repeat as a starter if Lucas Vázquez stays in the defense. Still, this will be a rather competitive spot, since Morata and Mariano will want to take advantage of this momentary switch by Lucas.
ST: Karim Benzema
The main problem here is that the coach has an affinity with him. However, he’s currently not giving all that he’s capable of giving. When times are tough, a #9 who can have a good ratio of goals per shots is a big relief.
LW: Cristiano Ronaldo
While he did score the equalizer at the time, his form isn’t exactly good at the moment. The UCL is only a few weeks away. He’s going to need to step up and be the leader this team needs right now.
