Wow! Did not expect that disaster from Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League this midweek. Their next opponents, Alaves, are probably going to feel the pain now. Maybe Alaves are catching Los Blancos at the wrong time? Or maybe it’s the right time? Either way, Arsenal thrashed Madrid, 3-0, in a match that could have ended up even more lopsided than that.
The quarterfinal tie isn’t over, and Madrid do have the home leg coming up, but coming back from an aggregate deficit like that will be a challenge.
Real Madrid at Alaves FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. April 13, 4:15pm, Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Google’s Result Probability: Real Madrid 59% Draw 23% Alaves 18%
La Liga Positioning, Form Guide: Real Madrid 2nd, 63 pts LWWWL Alaves 17th, 30 pts DWDLW
In terms of team news, well, Real Madrid certainly suffered some ego bruises in midweek, but other than that, the emerged unscathed, fitness wise.
Backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is relatively recent addition to the infirmary, but news of that broke before the Arsenal shellacking.
Dani Carvajal. Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos remain sidelined with injuries.
Despite the absences, the likely starting lineup for Sunday night remains overflowing with talent and depth.
Real Madrid Starting Lineup Prediction at Alaves
Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger, Fran Garcia; Brahim Diaz, Lucas Vazquez, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham; Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.