A place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals is up for grabs as Real Madrid makes a short trip across the city to face Leganes in a high-stakes quarter-final clash on Wednesday night. With both sides eager to bounce back from their recent league defeats, this match promises to deliver an intense battle at Butarque.
Match Preview
Real Madrid enters this fixture looking for a response after a disappointing 1-0 league loss to Espanyol. Despite dominating possession, Los Blancos struggled to break through, with Espanyol’s Carlos Romero scoring the only goal of the game. This defeat has narrowed their lead at the top of La Liga, leaving them just one point ahead of Atletico Madrid and four ahead of Barcelona.
Leganes, on the other hand, also suffered a setback in their last outing, falling 1-0 to Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. With Sergio Gonzalez receiving a straight red card, their hopes of a comeback were diminished. However, Los Pepineros have demonstrated resilience throughout their Copa del Rey campaign, navigating past Ciudad de Lucena, Estepona, Cartagena, and Almeria to reach the quarter-finals.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Leganes will be without Enrique Franquesa due to an ACL injury, while Seydouba Cisse is sidelined with a hamstring issue. However, Gonzalez will be available for selection, as his suspension applies only to La Liga.
Real Madrid will miss several key players, including Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and Eduardo Camavinga. Additionally, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba have been ruled out, while Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe will not be fit to feature in this crucial match. As a result, Carlo Ancelotti may rotate his squad and hand starts to Raul Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric, Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and Endrick.
Predicted Lineups
Leganes: Soriano; Altimira, Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, Cruz; Raba, Neyou, Tapia, Rodriguez; De La Fuente
Real Madrid: Lunin; Vazquez, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy; Valverde, Modric; Guler, Brahim, Vinicius; Endrick
Match Prediction
Leganes is expected to defend deep and play on the counter, much like Espanyol did against Real Madrid last weekend. However, with their superior attacking options, Real Madrid should have enough firepower to break down the home side’s defense. Having already secured a 3-0 victory at Butarque earlier this season, Los Blancos will be confident of progressing to the semi-finals.
Score Prediction: Leganes 1-3 Real Madrid
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