Real Madrid's Starting Lineup Revealed: Mbappe and Vinicius Lead the Charge Against Celta Vigo
Before Real Madrid can look ahead to El Clásico, Carlo Ancelotti's side must first take care of business against Celta Vigo.
Despite its 41-game unbeaten streak in La Liga, Real Madrid still trails Barcelona by three points atop the table. A mountain of injuries and draws to Mallorca, Las Palmas and Atlético Madrid hindered Los Blancos' title defense against a revitalized Barcelona under Hansi Flick. To keep the pressure on the Catalans, Real Madrid needs to collect all three points against Celta Vigo.
The good news is Los Blancos received a major injury boost ahead of its upcoming La Liga clash. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Éder Militão are all fit to travel and represent Real Madrid after recovering from various injuries during the October international break. Thibaut Courtois remains a doubt while Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Brahim Díaz are all still sidelined.
Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like against Claudio Giráldez's men on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Goalkeeper
GK: Thibaut Courtois—Expect Ancelotti's No. 1 to be back between the posts after missing Real Madrid's last two matches with an abductor injury.
Defenders
RB: Lucas Vázquez—The Spaniard has huge shoes to fill as he takes over for Dani Carvajal after the right-back suffered a season-ending knee injury.
CB: Éder Militão—Militão sustained a thigh injury while training with Brazil, but the center-back is fit to get the nod after a quick recovery.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—The Germany international will have the tough task of locking down Borja Iglesias, who has scored four goals in seven matches.
LB: Ferland Mendy—The left-back will make his 181st cap for Los Blancos on Saturday.
Midfielders
CM: Federico Valverde—The Uruguayan is in line to make his 13th consecutive start of the season. Valverde will look to snag another goal following his stupendous strike against Villarreal.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—Fresh off captaining France, Tchouaméni returns to Los Blancos' midfield where he will act as the last line of defense in front of Ancelotti's backline.
CM: Jude Bellingham—The 21-year-old found the back of the net for England on Oct. 10, but has yet to score for Los Blancos this season.
Attackers
RW: Rodrygo—Rodrygo is set to rejoin Ancelotti's XI after only playing 21 minutes against missing Villarreal due to back discomfort. The Brazilian will once again look to make an impact from the right-wing, something he has struggled with since Mbappé's arrival.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—Fully recovered from his thigh injury, Mbappé will lead the line against a Celta Vigo defense with only one clean sheet in La Liga this season.
LW: Vinícius Júnior—The Brazilian should be ready to go despite suffering a minor neck injury against Villarreal before the international break. Vinícius Jr. comes into Saturday's match with the second most goals (4) on the team.
Real Madrid’s Momentum and the Title Race
Los Blancos return to club action after the international break, with a week to run until El Clasico against bitter rivals FC Barcelona whom they currently trail by three points at the summit.
It is felt by some that the defending Spanish and European champions haven't made the best start to the 2024/2025 season, yet Ancelotti claimed at his prematch press conference on Friday that his “sensations” or feelings “are quite different” than before.
“I’m much more confident now than I was a month ago. We can get a better version [of ourselves] than in recent times. It’s an important moment in the season, we have very strong rivals in the Champions League and La Liga and we arrive with good feelings,” he explained.
Ancelotti finds that two of his star players in Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe, who didn't play for their countries over the past fortnight, have benefitted from a rest over the international break.
“It has been very good for him,” Ancelotti said about Ballon d'Or favourite Vinicius. “He has taken advantage [of it], like Kylian or Mendy, to have hard and intense work and also have days of rest that I think they have enjoyed. Mine are personal feelings, then the judge will be the field tomorrow.”
As for Mbappe, who missed the derby against Atletico Madrid last month because of a muscle niggle, Ancelotti said that he has “taken advantage of the break to improve his condition”.
“He’s very well, happy and looking forward to returning tomorrow and being important for the team. These 15 days have helped him a lot, because he is a different player to what he was before the break,” the Italian added.
Where to Watch the Match
[Date: 10/19/2024
Time: 21:00CET, 03:00am EST.
Venue: Balaidos, Vigo, Spain.
Available TV: Movistar La Liga, ABC
Available Streaming: ESPN+](https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/la-liga-soccer-livestream-how-to-watch-celta-vigo-vs-real-madrid-from-anywhere/)
Real Madrid Team News and Preview
Real Madrid have named their starting XI for this evening's clash with Celta Vigo.
Los Blancos are hoping to eat up the ground between themselves and Barcelona, who are currently three points ahead of Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Lucas Vasquez and Fran Garcia are deployed at fullback with Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy absent, while Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni are paired in midfield.
This could be a big game for Real Madrid to kickstart the season with their squad now getting back to full strength.
With the La Liga title race looking much tighter than recent seasons, Real Madrid head to the Estadio de Balaídos on Saturday knowing that a win against mid-table Celta Vigo is vital in their pursuit of leaders Barcelona. Real Madrid are looking to close a three-point gap on leaders Barcelona as they head to the Estadio de Balaídos.
