Preview: Another chance for Real to improve without Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo will not play, Ancelotti has confirmed. According to the Real Madrid manager, the Portuguese talisman has recovered from last weekend’s thigh injury against Almeria but remains uncomfortable. As a result, Angel Di Maria will be given a rare start in the starting XI. The Argentine winger is reportedly feeling ousted by impressive summer signing Gareth Bale.
In Ronaldo’s absence, Los Blancos will aim to build on the great performance they put in against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League in midweek. Team effort, marked by the brilliance of Isco, Bale and Arbeloa, proved that Real Madrid have strength in depth and can cope without their number 7 superstar.
“I think we can win both the league and the Champions League,” Ronaldo told FourFourTwo after winning the magazine’s 2013 World Best Player award this week. Well, the match against Real Valladolid will be an opportunity for Real Madrid to prove that they have the stamina and quality to excel both in Europe and domestically.
Valladolid are 17th in the Spanish La Liga standings with 12 points like three other teams—namely Rayo Vallecano, Almeria and Celta Vigo. They have very little chance of causing an upset looking at both teams’ form.
While Los Blancos have been explosive, scoring a total of 16 goals in their last three home games in all competitions, Real Valladolid have not won since beating relegation zone rivals Rayo in October. Real Madrid last kept a clean sheet against their opponents in April 2009 thanks to a 2-0 victory.
Since then, there have been four meetings—all won by Real Madrid—and 23 goals, split 15-8. Neutrals will want a repeat of the seven-goal thriller which the hosts edged 4-3 when the two teams clashed at the Bernabeu last season. But goalkeeper Diego Lopez will prefer to secure his second consecutive clean sheet in La Liga.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Real Madrid vs Real Valladolid live on Saturday, November 30, 2013:
In Canada at 14:00 ET on: beIN Sport Play Canada
In UK at 19:00 BST on: NOW TV powered by Sky, Sky Sports 2/HD, Sky Go UK
In USA at 14:00 ET on: SiriusXM FC, beIN Sport en Español, beIN Sport USA, beIN Sport Play
In Spain, watch this league fixture on four different channels, including Canal+ Liga / HD. For worldwide live listings and live scores, visit the Real Madrid-Valladolid match page.
