After winning the Club World Cup on Saturday in Rabat, Real Madrid resumed the League this Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu against bottom club Elche, with the mission of cutting the gap Barcelona has to eight points. The whites have returned from Rabat with good feelings, despite the defensive fragility wielded in Morocco. For today’s game Carlo Ancelotti does not have Vinícius, absent due to suspension, nor Kroos, who has fallen off the list due to gastroenteritis. Courtois does not make it to the appointment either, but he is already expected for Saturday at Sadar against Osasuna.
Elche faces the visit to the Santiago Bernabéu in a critical situation in the table, bottom club distanced twelve points from the zone of permanence, but strengthened in their self-esteem after having achieved the first victory of the course last day against Villarreal (3-1 ). Next weekend he plays against Espanyol.
The Elche team has never won at the Bernabeu, but dreams of repeating a performance like the one last season, when victory escaped them in added time (2-2). Pablo Machín, his coach, does not hide the difficulties: “A tie would be a sign that we are a competitive team and we would add more things than the point, such as morale and confidence that we are doing things well. Scoring will be difficult because we are facing the best team in the world. We have to show solidarity, be organized, try not to make them play comfortable and be effective in the chances we get, because we won’t have many. More than ever we depend on being able to nullify the quality of the rival and that they do not have their best day ”, he affirmed.
Elche enter the game with four important absences: Pere Milla, injured in the clavicle after having scored three goals last day; the suspended Omar Mascarell and Helibelton Palacios, two of the players who have accumulated the most minutes. Nor will Álex Collado be there, who continues to recover from a muscle injury. The positive note for Machín is the return of Pedro Bigas after serving a suspension against the Submarine. The central defender Enzo Roco, who has had a virus, and the striker Lucas Boyé, who has overcome some muscular discomfort, have also recovered.
Madrid already has the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on the 21st at Anfield against Liverpool in mind, but Ancelotti, a little forced by absences, will shoot today with the best he has. In yesterday’s press conference he said that Rodrygo will play the suspended Vinícius. Dani Ceballos will play instead of Kroos, one of the best on the team in recent games. Lunin will play his eleventh game of the season.
One of the doubts in Madrid is whether Camavinga will continue as a left back or Ancelotti will give the job to Alaba or Nacho. Camavinga suffered a lot on the last day, in which Madrid’s left wing was a strain against Al Hilal. Lucas Vázquez has also entered the call, but not Hazard. The Italian coach also included midfielder Sergio Arribas on the list, one of Castilla’s best, who had a minute and already scored against Al Ahly in the Club World Cup semifinal.
