Real Madrid aim to seal LaLiga title with reserve team
With the Man City return leg looming, and Militao, Alaba and Nacho unavailable, Ancelotti will field a much-changed side against Espanyol on Saturday. Madrid need a point to be crowned champions.
With just one point needed to secure the league title and a vital Champions League semi-final decider around the corner, Carlo Ancelotti is expected to approach Saturday’s Week 34 LaLiga game against Espanyol by fielding a side comprising mainly his reserve players. Real Madrid have five games to get the point they need to clinch the club’s 35th league title, and while there is no hurry, ideally they would like to get it out of the way as soon as possible.
In the meantime they are behind in their Champions League tie against City and need to beat Pep Guardiola’s team when they meet in Madrid next week. The last thing Ancelotti would want ahead of that game is for any of his first-choice players to get injured. He can avoid that, and give his regular starters a rest by fielding players who have starred less this season.
David Alaba is recovering from an abductor issue and definitely won’t play on Saturday. Madrid’s other two centre-backs Militão and Nacho are both suspended for the Espanyol game. Ancelotti has few options but to include Jesús Vallejo and Férland Mendy in his starting line-up against the Pericos. There is always the possibility of Casemiro dropping into the back four, as he has done occasionally when necessary, but he has only just returned to training as could be rested. Another option is Castilla defender Rafa Marín, who has entered recent squad lists while Vallejo was recovering from Covid-19.
Madrid are also likely to make changes to both full-back positions - Lucas Vázquez will start at right-back and on the opposite flank, Marcelo, who could lift the league trophy at the end of the game if Madrid win or draw. Dani Carvajal could also be drafted into central defence, as he did against Chelsea, although that would only be a last resort.
In midfield, Ancelotti could line up Camavinga, Valverde and Ceballos. All three have shown they can deputise when needed - it would also mean that Casemiro, Modric and Kroos can take a well-earned break and be fresh for the Manchester City game...
Benzema, Rodrygo, Asensio, Vinicius, Bale...
Up front, Ancelotti has several alternatives - the most probable is with Marco Asensio out wide on the right, Benzema (who is keen to play as many games as possible to give himself the chance to improve his figures in both LaLiga and the Champions League) and with Rodrygo on the left wing, where he played in the 1-3 win over Osasuna. That would give Vinicius the chance to take a breather, he will need to be at 100% for Wednesday’s clash with City at the Bernabéu. Another option is Gareth Bale, who is likely to be given some minutes against Espanyol even if he doesn’t start.