Real Madrid faces an away trip to Melilla in the first leg fixture of the Copa del Rey’s round of 32 clash at the Estadio Municipal Alvarez Claro.
Real Madrid seeks to bounce back to winning ways after the 5-1 defeat to Barcelona and travel to the north of Africa to take on Melilla in their first leg clash of the Copa del Rey’s round of 32. After sacking Julen Lopetegui on Monday, this will be the first game in charge for interim boss Santiago Solari. Let’s have a look at how the Whites might lineup for this one.
Goalkeeper- Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas is likely to start in between the sticks for the Copa del Rey outing. While Thibaut Courtois has been chosen to start in the league matches at least by Lopetegui, Navas might be the preferred one in the Champions League and Copa.
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Left Back- Sergio Reguilon
Marcelo is injured and by no means will be risked in a low-intensity affair. Sergio Reguilion will play at left back against Melilla after the making his debut last month against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.
Centre Back- Alvaro Tejero
It is certain that a few Real Madrid Castilla players will be given a run on Wednesday. Alvaro Tejero is likely to be one of those and could start in the central area of the backline. He has made a handful of appearances for the first team in the last few seasons.
Centre Back- Nacho Fernandez
Nacho Fernandez will start as the central defender next to Alvaro Tejero. Sergio Ramos won’t travel in all probability whereas Varane is injured after damaging his muscle in El Clasico. He is also expected to captain the side.
Right Back- Alvaro Odriozola
Alvaro Odriozola did not start any of the last two Real Madrid fixtures despite being the only natural backup to Dani Carvajal at right back. The former Real Sociedad defender is expected to start in the cup however. He’ll look to exploit his pace while going forward.
Defensive Midfielder- Marcos Llorente
Marcos Llorente has had a slightly reduced role in the Real Madrid squad so far this season. However, as the season gets busier, he is expected to get involved. The Melilla match should be the first such game for the youngster.
Left Midfielder- Dani Ceballos
If there was one player that Julen Lopetegui got the best out of before leaving, it was Ceballos. The former Real Betis midfielder played a reduced role under Zidane but was treated well by Lopetegui. He will start this game in all likeliness.
Right Midfielder- Federico Valverde
Federico Valverde made his debut with Real Madrid’s senior team last week in the Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen and put in a confident display. The Uruguayan is expected to make the bend in Wednesday’s starting eleven too.
Left Winger- Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio did not start either of the two Real Madrid matches so it is inevitable for him to start this one. The 22 year old has a pretty looking record in the Copa del Rey and he will surely look to capitalize upon it on Wednesday.
Striker- Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior is likely to make his first start for the senior team against Melilla. Karim Benzema is unlikely to make the squad and have some rest whereas Mariano Diaz is out for 10 days through injury. Hence, the Brazilian is expected to get the nod.
Right Winger- Lucas Vazquez
After playing two successive matches in the impeded position of a right back, Vazquez is likely to play as the right winger against Melilla. The 26 year old has been looking good while going forward of late and will hope to make an impact in the cup tie.
Do you think Santiago Solari will grab a win on his first match in the senior team’s dugout?