Football

Almeria vs Real Madrid predicted lineups – will Modric remain on the bench?

August 18, 2023 5:38 pm

Almeria is preparing for a crucial encounter against Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid at the Estadio Mediterraneo on Saturday, as the 2023-24 La Liga season unfolds with its latest set of matches this weekend. Real Madrid is aiming for a second consecutive triumph as they journey to Almeria for a Saturday night showdown.

Almeria vs Real Madrid predicted lineups
Jude Bellingham had a stellar La Liga debut for Real Madrid (Photo Courtesy: Marca / Icon Sport)

The hosts, however, will be nursing their wounds after suffering an opening-day defeat against Rayo Vallecano. Here are our Almeria vs Real Madrid predicted lineups and team news. The match will start at 6:30 PM BST, on Saturday, August 19. 

Almeria predicted lineup: Another battle for survival looming on the horizon?

After a survival battle leading to a 17th-place finish in the previous La Liga season, Almeria seeks to avoid another relegation ordeal this time around. It’s not unexpected for them, nonetheless, to linger around the drop zone throughout the campaign. La Union’s start to the 2023-24 season was disappointing, with a 2-0 defeat at the Power Horse Stadium to Rayo.

The outcomes of matches against teams like Real Madrid, however, will not define Almeria’s season. They have failed to win any of their last seven matches against the record-time European champions, so it should not come as a surprise that they will be the underdogs on Saturday night.

Team News

Almeria will be without Leo Baptistao and Martin Svidersky due to injuries. Head coach Vicente Moreno may stick with the same lineup after the loss to Rayo, but there could be potential starts for Marc Pubill and Sergio Arribas. Suarez will lead the attack, Embarba will operate on the left, and Edgar Gonzalez will maintain his position in defense.

Almeria Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Diego Marino, Marc Pubill, Edgar Gonzalez, Srđan Babić, Sergio Akieme, Lucas Robertone, Iddrisu Baba, Sergio Arribas, Largie Ramazani, Adri Embarba, Luis Suarez

Real Madrid predicted lineup: Ancelotti to opt for a front two again? 

Real Madrid began their 2023-24 La Liga season in style, securing a 2-0 victory over Athletic, with Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham scoring at San Mames to secure all three points. The Madrid team trailed a significant 10 points behind their arch-rivals Barcelona in the previous season. In a bid to avoid another second-place finish, they have been active in the summer transfer market.

Los Blancos, however, will not have the services of Karim Benzema up front this season as the Frenchman left the club to join the Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.

Ancelotti deployed a two-man frontline to compensate for the lack of a genuine number nine, as Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior partnered up to spearhead the attack against Athletic. It turned out to be an effective move, so Ancelotti might go for a front two once again.

Team News 

Real Madrid suffered some injury setbacks, losing Eder Militao due to a knee injury, Thibaut Courtois with his ACL tear, and Arda Guler’s recent operation for a knee issue. Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos are also sidelined. Antonio Rudiger replaces Militao, Kepa Arrizabalaga debuts in goal, and the starting lineup remains largely unchanged, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos on the bench.

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup (4-4-2)

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Fran Garcia, Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo.

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