All things must come to an end and now Real Madrid’s unbeaten streak has stopped. Sevilla went from losing 3-0 to winning 2-1 in less than two weeks. Now it’s time for the team to regroup and face the Copa del Rey. Celta de Vigo will arrive at the Santiago Bernabéu with the hopes of catching their rivals still mourning after Sunday’s defeat. It won’t be an easy match regardless of how you look at it.
Preferred Lineup: 4-3-3
Zinedine Zidane played with three center backs at the Sánchez Pizjuán, and although it seemed to work at times, it’s very likely we won’t see it for this one. He needs to keep his men strong mentally. Given that several key players rested in the previous round, it’s fair to assume this can happen again. January still has four more matches ahead and accumulating fatigue isn’t ideal right now.
GK: Kiko Casilla
Whether it was the long injury that derailed him or something else, Keylor Navas isn’t the same man we saw last season. The competition between them could get heated if the team starts to stumble.
Defense
RB: Dani Carvajal
After Danilo’s own goal, we may not see him play from the start very soon. With the system returning back to normal and with his role moving back to the defense, he’ll have the help of the wingers to cover his side.
CB: Raphaël Varane
The change in attitude in the last few minutes of the previous game is what gave it to the rival. The entire team, particularly the defense, must be aware that you have to be focused for the entire 90 minutes.
CB: Sergio Ramos
The captain went from hero to zero in just a couple of days. His own goal on Sunday came at the worst possible time. Still, he’s the leader of this team and he will always be there during the good times and the bad times.
LB: Marcelo
Like Carvajal, he played in the midfield and in certain instances he might have been doing more harm than good. Coentrão mysteriously got injured again and has become more of a problem than a solution. Nacho could play instead here.
Midfield
RCM: Luka Modrić
He didn’t play in last week’s 3-3 tie. If taking turns will be part of the rotation system, it should be Toni Kroos’ moment to rest. Nevertheless, there’s a chance both of them could and James or Isco could step in.
CM: Casemiro
Before things went south in La Liga, he was doing a fine job of covering a lot of ground and blocking Sevilla. There’s no other guy on the roster than can do this, so he’ll keep on playing for now.
LCM: Mateo Kovačić
He came in for Kroos, yet he couldn’t influence his teammates’ declining behavior. He’s a very good replacement for fatigued midfielders. On top of that, he can hold his own when playing from the start.
Attack
RW: Lucas Vázquez
It was surprising not see him join in the second half to rest Carvajal and look for a second goal. Earning a strong result at home will make it easier for the away game. Because of this, Lucas is ideal for crosses and penetrating the box.
ST: Álvaro Morata
Karim Benzema gave way to the play that ended in Jovetić’s late winner. Despite being the boss’ protégé, using only one substitution during the weekend sets many men up for a possible start, including Morata.
LW: Marco Asensio
If Cristiano Ronaldo skips the Copa del Rey once again, Asensio has good odds of making it into the lineup. However, if James and Isco recover from their minor injuries, the competition for a starting role will be more complicated.
