Real Madrid Vs Athletic Club: The Starting 11

The upcoming match is against Athletic Club at a neutral stadium in Supercopa Semi-Final. The last Real Madrid game was against Osasuna which was a pathetic result after a poor display in all departments. 

The team rating for the match against Osasuna can be found here: Team Rating

This is a knock out game and Real need to win this at any cost. 

Looking at the

Injury list:

1. Rodrygo
2. Carvajal
3. Jovic

Suspended:

1. None

Just recovered:

1. None

Practiced:

The rest of the players are available for selection. 

Skipped Practice:

• None

Coach Comments:

• We've handled it badly, we did what we could on this pitch. It wasn't a football match. It should have been suspended. The conditions weren't right for a match. I'm repeating myself, but that's how it is.
  

Other Comments:

• Attack is doing really bad, they need to step up.

Squad Updates:

This will be the Twenty fifth game of the season and Real have been inconsistent in their performances, they have 14 wins, 5 Draws and 5 losses. In the last few matches the performance has dipped but in the last few games finishing was utterly poor, efficiency needs to improve a lot.  

Athletic has been good but have not got good results. So, Real will need to be very careful to score goals and not concede. 

In the goal Courtois will start, he has been in a good form. He has supported the defense really well.

Mendy should start on the left. Ramos and Varane will start as the center backs. But as Carvajal is not fit Lucas Vazquez will start on the right. So Mendy, Ramos, Varane and Lucas Vazquez should start. Defense has been okay but errors have led to goals in all the games where we have conceded. Without Marcelo the defense looks better. So, he should start on the bench and only come in the second half to provide any relief to Mendy.

Modric has been amazing but is lacking support from the attack. He would start, and so should be Kroos. So, Kroos, Casemiro and Modric should start. Ødegaard, Valverde and Isco should start from the bench. ZZ should look to give more minutes to others and have the substitutions early in the second half.

The forwards have been poor in the last few games, they have been wasting several chances in front of the goal. Hazard will be available and should start on the Left, Asensio should start on the Right, and Benzema upfront . So, Vinicius and Mariano should start from the bench.

As there are 5 substitutions available, ZZ should think for more rotations in the second half especially taking into consideration that the team's fitness.

The probable substitutions will be: 

Asensio > Vinicius

Modric > Ødegaard/Valverde

Kroos > Isco/Valverde

Mendy > Marcelo

Hazard > Vinicius/Mariano

So the formation would be 4 3 3.

The most probable kit to be used for the game will be the home kit!!!

So the final starting 11 will be: