Real Madrid vs Valencia - preview
Real Madrid are gearing up for a crucial La Liga showdown on Sunday, with the defending champions taking on Valencia at 10:15 a.m. ET in their 23rd match of the 2020/21 Primera Division season. Zidane's men will be hosting Los Ches as Los Blancos look to profit from Atletico Madrid's recent slip up in the title race.
Simeone's table-toppers won 2-1 over the weekend but were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Celta Vigo over the midweek. As a result, Los Merengues could move within five points of their bitter neighbors should they beat Valencia, handing them hope in their title defense.
For this reason, Real Madrid cannot afford to drop points. Atletico have two games in hand, meaning failure to win could leave Los Blancos 13 to 14 points behind the league leaders. Furthermore, Barcelona are hot on their heels, with Messi and Co. going level on points thanks to their 5-1 victory over Alaves.
The form of Benzema and Co. has taken a turn for the better. Having kicked off 2021 with only two wins in their first six matches, Real Madrid have now registered three victories in their last four outings. Since suffering a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Levante, Zidane's men have bounced back, winning back-to-back ties in La Liga.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Valencia. The Spanish outfit boast a single win from their last five outings, which has come as a huge blow to Los Ches as they began 2021 with an impressive four-game unbeaten streak (W3, D1). Once a powerhouse in Spain, the Mestalla Stadium side find themselves in a relegation battle despite occupying the 12th spot, with Javi Garcia's men sitting only three points above the danger zone.
It should be pointed out that the last time these two sides met, it was Valencia who emerged triumphant. Carlos Soler and Co. marched to a 4-1 victory, with the Spanish midfielder grabbing a hat-trick. That fixture was a nightmarish 90 minutes for the Madrid giants as they gave away three penalties and scored an own goal. Zidane will be hoping for a better performance this time around.
Team news
Real Madrid: Zidane continues to struggle with an injury crisis, with the likes of Rodrygo Goes, Eden Hazard, Sergio Ramos, Federico Valverde, Eder Militao and Alvaro Odriozola all being sidelined. Marcelo will also sit this one out due to a calf injury but Lucas Vazquez and Carvajal are back in contention after returning to training.
Valencia: Guillamon is suspended for this game while Mouctar Diakhaby, Cristiano Piccini and Denis Cheryshev are all injured. Mangala lacks fitness and is tipped to miss this game.
Key stats
-
Real Madrid boast a 12-game unbeaten run at home vs Valencia in La Liga.
-
The last time Los Blancos lost to Los Ches at the Bernabeu in the league was a 3-2 defeat back in March 2008.
-
Valencia look to pull off the league double over Los Merengues for the first time since 1967/6.
-
Javi Garcia's men have won only two of their last 13 league fixtures.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
