Real Madrid returns to the league looking for the lead against Valladolid

Real Madrid visits Valladolid in the Spanish League / AFP

Real Madrid visit Real Valladolid this Friday in matchday 15 of Liga Santander, with the leadership held by FC Barcelona just two points between their eyebrows to put pressure on the Catalans and sleep at the top of the standings, while Pucelano’s team faces the duel installed in the quiet area of ​​the standings, with no emergencies or anything to lose.

Carlo Ancelotti’s pupils culminate their private “preseason” at Nuevo José Zorrilla, where It will be the first exam for the Juventus team after the World Cup break. The match against the ‘blanquivioletas’ will serve to evaluate the moment a team is experiencing that closed the first part of the season in a discreet way physically, as well as to close a 2022 full of joy with a smile, with four championships.

The match against Valladolid will cut the ribbon of Real Madrid’s private marathon in the next two months, continuously until the end of February with up to 17 matches from five different competitions. Furthermore, the physical aspect as one of the unknowns to be resolved in the coming weeks.

“We arrived with great enthusiasm in the second leg. We have recovered Benzema well. Those who have returned are doing well, although I will give priority to the players who trained here,” analyzed the Italian before the duel.

The bianconeri face the last match of the year second in the standings with 35 points, only two behind the leader Barça and with the last victory conceded (2-1) over Cadiz in memory of.

After a brilliant start to the competition, the Meringues noted the saturated calendar and the few rotations in the duels before the World Cup. Now, with the batteries charged, the problem to improve should be the defensive aspect, having conceded 14 goals in 14 games. The only defeat so far has come away (3-2, against Rayo).

Ancelotti only has the certain loss of Mariano Díaz, due to an ankle sprain. Finally, World Cup players Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, semi-finalists and finalists respectively, will be in Zorrilla, with only one training session in Valdebebas. On Monday, the Brazilians Rodrygo, Militao and Vinicius entered, the latter being the one with the best chance of being a starter.

As for the balance of direct clashes, Real Madrid have not lost since November 2008for which he chained 13 undefeated duels against Valladolid.

The statistics only in Zorrilla are not very encouraging for Valladolid either, since they have only been able to celebrate two victories against whites in their fiefdom in the last 20 years.