Real Madrid’s rigorous four competition January match schedule
Carlo Ancelotti’s side could play up to nine matches in the first month of the new year.
After a short Christmas break, Real Madrid face a demanding month of January with a possible nine games awaiting Carlo Ancelotti’s men in the first month of 2025.
The Italian coach stated ahead of the break: “First of all, we need to rest. We have given the players an individual programme of three training sessions. I think they will come back well and will not lose anything fitness-wise in a week. They need to relax, have a good time with their families and when we come back, we need to be ready. We have a game very soon: on January 3, against Valencia".
The first team squad return to training on 30 December.
To start the year, ‘Los Blancos’ head to Mestalla to face Valencia with the match originally suspended due to the tragic flooding with the match supposed to have been played at the beginning of November.
Cup double
Madrid are then involved in cup competition with first up being a Copa del Rey third round clash against 2A RFEF (fourth tier) side Deportiva Minera in Cartagena on 6 January.
Three days later, on 9 January, the Spanish Super Cup tournament starts in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) as Madrid face Real Mallorca in the semi-final of the final four tournament. Should they advance to the final, ‘Los Blancos’ would face the winner of the other semi-final which pits Athletic Club against Barcelona with that game scheduled for Sunday, 12 January.
| Rival | Competition | Date | KO time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valencia | League | Jan. 3rd | 3pm |
| CD Minera | Cup | Jan. 6th | 1pm |
| Mallorca | Super Cup | Jan. 9th | 2pm |
| *Super Cup Final | Super Cup | Jan. 12th | 2pm |
| *To be determined | Cup | Jan. 15/16 | TBC |
| Las Palmas | League | Jan. 19th | 10:15 |
| RB Salzburg | UCL | January 22 | 3pm |
| Valladolid | League | Jan. 25/26 | TBC |
| Brest | UCL | Jan.29th | 3pm |
The following midweek slot is dedicated to the Copa del Rey and assuming Ancelotti’s men overcome Deportiva Minera, they will be back in fourth round action.
Thoughts then turn to the domestic league championship (19 January), when they face in-form Las Palmas at the Bernabeu.
The only other home game of the month sees the relentless pace continue as the Champions League returns with RB Salzburg the visitors to the Spanish capital with Madrid needing a win to cling on to outside hope of bagging a top eight finish.
Ancelotti’s men then travel to Valladolid (25 or 26 January, before closing out their participation in this first phase of the new Champions League format as they head to face Brest in Guingamp on Wednesday 29 January (3:00 p.m. ET). The French team has been one of the surprise packages of the new ‘Swiss Model’ format as both sides wrap up their eighth and final match of the UCL league format.
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