Real Madrid, victorious 2-1 in La Liga at Alaves yesterday, now shift their focus to the Copa del Rey in midweek. They’ll meet Talavera, a third tier side, in the competition on Wednesday night. Expect under fire manager Xabi Alonso to make several changes from that lineup for his team sheet for this one, as Endrick, Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras are now all available for this one.
Copa del Rey Round of 32 FYIs
Real Madrid at Talavera
Kickoff: Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Real Madrid Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Real Madrid Team News
The trio were all suspended for the league fixture on the weekend.
Alonso’s side is, naturally, very heavily favored in this match. However, his squad will be without the services of six injured players: Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
This is looking like the kind of match where some teenagers and second-teamers will get a lot of playing time. Some of them will even get a first team assignment, which makes sense given the on paper mismatch here between the two clubs.
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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 and the Washington Post.