Real Madrid resumes its league campaign today, Saturday, in Balaídos against Celta in a match with all the focus on Mbappé, who the Swedish prosecutor’s office is investigating in case he is related to a rape case. The motto these days at the white club is to protect their French star. Carlo Ancelotti, in a press conference yesterday, commented that he does not see anything affected and that Mbappé has taken advantage of these days to improve his set-up for which he stopped playing with his national team.
The team will face its first game without Dani Carvajal, who will be sidelined for a year due to a torn cruciate ligament. Lucas Vázquez will be the right back. It is unknown whether the starters who traveled to America with their national teams will start: Valverde and Rodrygo.
The precedents
Madrid won the last eight games against Celta
Celta, in which Iago Aspas and Moriba cannot play due to suspension, is a team that is good at Madrid, which they have not won in the League since 2014. The whites have won the last eight games. Last season they won 0-1 with a goal from Bellingham.
Madrid is just one game away from equaling the unbeaten record in the League, held by Guardiola’s Barcelona with 42 games. To overcome it, they must not lose either tomorrow or in next Saturday’s classic at the Bernabéu.
The white infirmary
Carvajal, Alaba and Brahim
The break has been good for Ancelotti’s team, which has recovered the injured players: Mbappé, Vinícius, Militão, Courtois and Lunin. All of them traveled to Vigo. In fact, Brahim is also expected in two weeks and only Alaba and Carvajal would remain in the infirmary. Today, the Italian coach celebrates 200 league games on the whites’ bench.
Celta, without qualifying difficulties, faces the challenge of the visit of Real Madrid without the participation of its most unbalanced footballer. Iago Aspas will serve a one-match suspension for his expulsion against UD Las Palmas for protesting.
The Celtic
Giráldez, renewed until 2027
Despite the Galician club’s attempts to have its star, the Competition Committee rejected its appeal. Claudio Giráldez, the coach of the Celta team, has not given any clues about who will replace him. Giráldez has just extended his contract until 2027.
The other big doubt of the celestial eleven is in the creation zone. Fran Beltrán seems fixed. Without the suspended Ilaix Moriba, Hugo Sotelo and Damián Rodríguez will play alongside the Madrid midfielder in the midfield. In defense, Manquillo, due to his speed and experience, could repeat alongside Starfelt and Marcos Alonso.
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