Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will make up to five changes for what he has described as a “crucial” game against Getafe on Thursday night.
In a derby at the Estadio Coliseum, Ancelotti expects to meet a “very tough” opponent that will try and stop his men from winning their game in hand over Girona and returning to the top of La Liga with a two-point margin.
“But the team is in good shape and we’ll put in a great game. We’re solid, we play good football, [and] we’re strong. It will be demanding, but our confidence is intact. It is a crucial match, I repeat,” Ancelotti stated at his pre-match press conference.
“To score first, that would be nice. But like I said, if we have to come back, it means we have resources,” the Italian also remarked, on if Madrid will need to mount what would be an 11th remontada this term.
In the same sitdown chat with the media, Ancelotti refused to confirm who his goalkeeper will be.
For the second league game running, though, it is Andriy Lunin that gets the nod and he is protected by a backline of Ferland Mendy, who comes in for Fran Garcia, Nacho, Antonio Rudiger and Dani Carvajal.
In midfield, we see two big changes with Jude Bellingham returning from suspension and Luka Modric getting a rare start.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valvere man the center of the park, with all of Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos and Eduardo Camavinga demoted to the bench meaning that Madrid deploys a completely different midfield compared to the team that beat Las Palmas at the weekend.
Up top, it is the all-Brazilian striker pairing of Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr., the latter of whom Ancelotti believes has “reached his best level” after a time out on the sidelines injured.
“[He is] well physically, contributing a lot. He’s always very dangerous. Sometimes he tries [to score] when he shouldn’t, but that’s his strength. He must do so,” Ancelotti insisted.
Real Madrid First XI Versus Getafe: Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Modric, Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius.