Real Madrid vs. Levante: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
It was probably a good time for a little break. To cool off. Get some rest. For things had been getting a little heated after the derby.
In the aftermath of Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Atletico prior to the international break, a game in which more questions arose than answers for both sides, the reaction hadn't exactly been friendly. In fact, it had bordered on savage.
Real Madrid's "stodgy performance," wrote Enrique Cortega of Marca, was an "embarrassment." According to AS, new manager Rafa Benitez was "in no-man's land," the headline to the piece running as: "Rafa Benitez: 10 goals less than Ancelotti after seven games."
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In his defence, the new boss could have pointed out that his team also conceded three fewer than the one led by his predecessor in Madrid's last league visit of the Vicente Calderon.
Well actually, he did, per the Al Primer Toque radio programme (h/t AS).
Whether his detractors were listening is another matter, but regardless, there's an intense stylistic debate raging in the Spanish capital regarding Real. Undoubtedly, the club would have wanted to see it quelled, hence the break's good timing. Or was it?
Though the international fixtures did take some of the focus away from Benitez's supposedly overconservative team, they provided Madrid with another set of headaches. Against Armenia, Karim Benzema suffered a hamstring injury; against Bulgaria, Luka Modric left the field with an adductor complaint.
Both will be missing on Saturday against Levante, adding to an injury list that includes James Rodriguez, Daniel Carvajal and Pepe. Positively, at least, Sergio Ramos and Danilo are on the mend, and Gareth Bale came through 180 minutes for Wales unscathed.
Admittedly, a busy medical room shouldn't be the same sort of concern ahead of a clash with Levante as it would be for, say, Barcelona. But then again, the Valencian outfit might feel encouraged ahead of Saturday based on recent evidence.
In Madrid's last two outings at the Bernabeu, Benitez's men have scored just the solitary goal, and the opponents were hardly fearsome in Granada and Malaga. They were lucky to take all three points against the former, too.
Can Levante give them the same trouble, then? It's possible.
Perhaps the biggest problem this season for Los Blancos has been an inability to break down deep-sitting defences. With Rodriguez missing and with Madrid still navigating a transitional period, opponents have been able to stifle the stars in white. The likes of Sporting Gijon, Granada and Malaga constructed walls Madrid have struggled to fracture. And Levante, well, that's about what they do, really.
To date this season, only Sporting and Eibar have had less of the ball than Lucas Alcaraz's side in the league, and only Eibar, statistically, have it passed it worse—though that's because the Basques are prepared to gamble.
This is a Levante team that dug in for 90 minutes against Las Palmas. Yes, the almighty Las Palmas. And six games into the season, it wasn't looking good: three losses, three draws and a 3-0 defeat to Getafe in the last of the six. But then they went and turned over the table-topping Villarreal in the other Valencian derby.
Go figure.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, October 17
Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT/4 p.m. local
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), beIN Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.)
Form Lines
| D: 1-1 vs. Atletico Madrid | W: 1-0 vs. Villarreal |
| W: 2-0 vs. Malmo | L: 0-3 vs. Getafe |
| D: 0-0 vs. Malaga | D: 2-2 vs. Eibar |
| W: 2-1 vs. Athletic Bilbao | L: 1-4 vs. Barcelona |
| W: 1-0 vs. Granada | D: 1-1 vs. Sevilla |
| W: 4-0 vs. Shakhtar Donetsk | 0-0 vs. Las Palmas |
Team News
As mentioned earlier, Benzema, Modric, Rodriguez, Carvajal and Pepe will all be absent for Saturday's meeting with Levante. Consequently, Benitez with have some reshuffling to do.
In defence, both Danilo and Ramos have returned to training this week, but it's only the former who's expected to be available. That means the Brazilian will step in for Carvajal at right-back, while Nacho will stand alongside Raphael Varane in the centre-back pairing.
In midfield, Casemiro is likely to retain his place after an impressive showing against Atletico, while Jese and the returning Bale look poised to be included in attack.
For Levante, central defender Angel Trujillo, right-back Ivan Lopez and midfielder Verza are all unavailable to Alcaraz because of injury.
Consequently, Simao Mate will be one of the three centre-backs in a likely back five, while Jose Luis Morales will be on the right side of that quintet.
In midfield, Jose Mari, Jefferson Lerma and Victor Camarasa will form a deep-sitting bank of three in front of the defence, while Deyverson and Nabil Ghilas will be charged with the responsibility of providing a counter-attacking threat up front.
Predicted Lineups
In the Spotlight
You might argue that Cristiano Ronaldo is always in the spotlight, and that's probably true. But on Saturday, the wattage will be turned up a notch.
When Raul announced his retirement this week, Real Madrid were not only reminded of the immense contribution of the club legend, they were also reminded of the magnitude of Ronaldo's accomplishments in Chamartin.
In 741 games for Los Blancos, Raul racked up a colossal 323 goals. Right now, Ronaldo sits on the same figure, but has needed 432 fewer games to get there. Four hundred and thirty-two. Just let that sink in.
On Saturday, Real Madrid will pay tribute to both men in an occasion Marca says will be "seventh heaven." And by day's end, the new No. 7 might well have overtaken the old No. 7.
If that happens, Ronaldo will be the greatest goalscorer in Real Madrid's history.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Real Madrid: 1-10
Draw: 15-2
Levante: 16-1
