Real Madrid gear up for Thursday’s showdown as they face Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey quarter-final. Los Blancos come into the match on the back of a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid so they will have to perform better in order to take the lead. On the other hand, the Catalan club suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Almeria in their last outing.
Carlo Ancelotti will make use of the 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make a few changes to the starting XI. Luka Modric and Aurelien Tchouameni could get a chance to play from the start while Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos drop to the bench.
4-3-3 Real Madrid Predicted XI Vs Barcelona
Defence
Thibaut Courtois will operate in between the sticks for Madrid after shipping in one goal last weekend. Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger will function at the heart of Ancelotti’s backline as they try to keep the Barca attackers frustrated during the game.
Dani Carvajal will function as the right-back while Nacho hopes to give a good account of himself as a makeshift left-back. Both of them will need to be solid at the back if Los Blancos are to keep a clean sheet in this derby.
Alvaro Odriozola will have to settle for a spot on the bench as he provides cover for the defensive positions.
Midfield
Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni and Luka Modric will make up Ancelotti’s midfield as they try to establish their superiority over the opposition at the centre of the park.
Kroos and Modric will have to carry most of the creative workload for the Madrid outfit in the opponent’s half.
Dani Ceballos will take a spot on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the second half if Ancelotti opts to call upon his services.
Attack
Vinicius Junior will be a guaranteed starter on the left flank following his impressive run of form. Federico Valverde would try to put in a hard-working performance on the right wing.
Karim Benzema is expected to lead the charge for Ancelotti’s side in the final third. The French striker will fancy his chances of finding the back of the net and taking the lead in the first leg.
Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard will have to be content with a spot on the bench as they await their opportunity to make an impact in the latter stages of the contest if needed.
