Real Madrid vs Elche Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Real Madrid should have found some much-needed confidence in midweek as Los Blancos now welcome a struggling Elche side to the Bernabeu on Saturday night.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN have the exclusive rights to La Liga games in the USA, so any game may be televised on one of their affiliated channels
How to watch online: UK – Premier Player & Disney+ / US – ESPN+
Real Madrid preview: Impressive midweek win
Real Madrid come into this one on the back of an impressive 3-0 demolition of Manchester City in the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, courtesy of a first-half hat-trick scored by Fede Valverde.
Los Blancos managed to snatch a much-needed win at Balaidos against Celta Vigo with a winner deep into second-half stoppage-time last weekend after back-to-back losses against Osasuna and then Getafe.
Elche preview: The collapse of Elche
In the first-half of the campaign, Elche were extremely impressive, following their promotion to the top-flight last season, but the visitors have now badly drifted to a relegation battle, appearing destined for the drop at this stage.
The visitors begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting just a point and a place outside of the bottom three and the relegation places after they most recently succumbed to a 2-1 loss to Villarreal in a regional derby at El Madrigal last week.
Real Madrid team news: Mastantuono suspended
Summer signing Franco Mastantuono is still missing through suspension and there is going to be another defensive reshuffle required as Alvaro Carreras is sidelined through injury.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Raul Asencio, Rudiger, Fran Garcia; Fede Valverde, Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch; Guler, Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Junior
Unavailable: Eder Militao (Injured), Carreras (Injured), Mendy (Injured), Bellingham (Injured), Mastantuono (Suspended), Mbappe (Injured), Rodrygo (Injured)
Questionable: Alaba (Injured), Dani Ceballos (Injured)
Elche team news: Hector Fort still out
Former Barcelona full-back Hector Fort remains sidelined for Elche this weekend after suffering a shoulder injury in the final game before the mid-season winter break.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Matias Dituro; Sangare, Affengruber, Victor Chust, Petrot; Diangana, Aleix Febas, Marco Aguado, German Valera; Alvaro, Rafa Mir
Unavailable: Hector Fort (Injured)
Questionable: John Donald (Injured)
Real Madrid vs Elche prediction
Elche are now winless in their last 11 matches across all competitions ever since the turn of the year since their mid-season winter break. They have continued to play an entertaining and easy on the eye style of football. They now face a Madrid side that should go full throttle here at the Bernabeu as they seek to build on their win the other day and a comfortable home win is to be expected for this one in the Spanish capital city.
Real Madrid vs Elche tip: Real Madrid to win -1 handicap
