Real Madrid Makes Five Changes Ahead of Crucial La Liga Clash

MADRID, Spain — Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti announced five changes to his starting lineup ahead of Saturday’s La Liga match against Real Valladolid, as the league leaders aim to maintain their position at the top of the table.

Ancelotti emphasized the importance of the match, stating, ‘It’s a very important match to maintain leadership. I’m going to put the best team out possible.’ The Italian coach confirmed that Thibaut Courtois will remain in goal, while Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia will replace Fede Valverde and Ferland Mendy in the defensive line. Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger will anchor the center-back positions.

In midfield, Luka Modric will be benched, with Dani Ceballos retaining his spot and Valverde moving up to partner him. Ancelotti also addressed the absence of Vinicius Jr., who remains suspended. ‘In this sense, it is good for him,’ Ancelotti said. ‘Because he doesn’t only have days of recovery, work, training. In March, April, a fresh player will arrive at an important moment of the season.’ Brahim Diaz will replace Vinicius on the right flank, with Rodrygo occupying the left and Kylian Mbappe leading the attack as the central striker.

Real Madrid, currently leading La Liga, has won four of its last five matches. However, the team faces a Valladolid side desperate to climb out of the relegation zone. Valladolid, sitting in 20th place, recently suffered a 2-1 defeat to Espanyol after a brief resurgence with a 1-0 win over Real Betis.

The match will take place at Estadio José Zorrilla on Saturday, Jan. 25, with kickoff set for 9 p.m. CET (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT in the U.S., and 8 p.m. GMT in the U.K.). Fans worldwide can stream the game via ESPN Plus in the U.S., Premier Sports in the U.K., TSN Plus in Canada, and BeIn Sports in Australia.

Ancelotti reiterated his team’s focus, saying, ‘The objective is clear. We have become leaders and we must maintain the position. It’s an important moment in La Liga, and we must take advantage of it to continue winning.’