Team news & analysis
Real Madrid will be looking to clinch their 10th win of the Spanish Primera Division campaign. The last few days have been really good for Los Blancos.
Led by Cristiano Ronaldo’s stellar performances, they closed the gap against second-placed Atletico Madrid to five points. In the UEFA Champions League, they completed their Group of Death mission with a resounding 4-1 victory over Dutch side Ajax.
Jose Mourinho will be relieved to have signed off the group phase on a high in midweek. While Real Madrid await their Round of 16 opponents, they can switch their focus on La Liga.
The ‘Only One’ will have Alvaro Arbeloa available after the player served a suspension on Tuesday. Sergio Ramos and Pepe were offered a rest against Ajax and should return to Los Blancos’ starting XI. Luka Modric may be deployed as an attacking midfielder with Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo by his sides.
Real Valladolid have received a boost ahead of the match. Striker Manucho and defender Marc Valiente have both recovered from a bout of concussion and a muscle injury respectively. With the return of these two key players, Valladolid will be hoping to gain some stability against the giants of the Spanish capital.
The hosts are only one point behind the European zone in the Spanish La Liga standings. They need to fight off competition from teams like Malaga and Getafe. For now, things look positive for Valladolid who have clinched maximum points from their last two fixtures.
Real Valladolid’s probable starting XI: Hernandez; Rukavina, Serano, Valiente, Balenziaga; Perez, Alvaro; Ebert, Oscar, Ramos; Manucho.
Real Madrid’s probable starting XI: Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Coentrao; Alonso, Khedira; Di Maria, Modric, Ronaldo; Benzema.
Table
| POS. | TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | D | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRIMERA DIVISIÓN 2012/2013 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Barcelona | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 16 | +32 | 40 | |
| 2 | Atlético Madrid | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 13 | +16 | 34 | |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 34 | 10 | +24 | 29 | |
| 4 |  |
Real Betis | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 24 | -1 | 25 |
| 5 |  |
Málaga | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 22 |
| 6 | |
Getafe | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 19 | -2 | 22 |
| 7 | |
Real Valladolid | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 15 | +5 | 21 |
| 8 | |
Levante | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 21 | -5 | 21 |
Real Valladolid’s last four matches
November 18, 2012: Getafe 2-1 Real Valladolid (La Liga)
November 24, 2012: Real Valladolid 1-0 Granada (La Liga)
November 27, 2012: Real Betis 3-0 Real Valladolid (Copa del Rey)
December 3, 2012: Sevilla 1-2 Real Valladolid (La Liga)
Real Madrid’s last four matches
November 24, 2012: Real Betis 1-0 Real Madrid (La Liga)
November 27, 2012: Real Madrid 3-0 Alcoyano (Copa del Rey)
December 1, 2012: Real Madrid 2-0 Atletico Madrid (La Liga)
December 4, 2012: Real Madrid 4-1 Ajax (Champions League)
Head-to-head – Last five meetings (all in La Liga)
February 10, 2008: Real Madrid 7-0 Real Valladolid
November 15, 2008: Real Valladolid 1-0 Real Madrid
April 12, 2009: Real Madrid 2-0 Real Valladolid
October 17, 2009: Real Madrid 4-2 Real Valladolid
March 14, 2010: Real Valladolid 1-4 Real Madrid
Prediction
Result: Real Valladolid 1-4 Real Madrid
