Real Madrid travels to face Racing Santander at El Sardinero this afternoon in La Liga, aiming to maintain pressure on Barcelona. Jose Mourinho’s side enters the fixture fresh from an impressive 2-1 victory over Barcelona in El Clasico, though Barça responded last night with an emphatic 6-1 win against Deportivo Alaves to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points.
Racing Santander presents a difficult challenge for Los Blancos, as the hosts have remained unbeaten at home in La Liga this season. Ahead of the encounter, Real Madrid announced a starting lineup featuring only a few changes from the team that triumphed last weekend.
Goalkeeper and Defensive Changes
The most significant change occurs in goal, where Thibaut Courtois returns after recovering from the illness that forced him to miss El Clasico. The Belgian goalkeeper replaces Andriy Lunin, who had performed admirably against Barcelona.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!🆚 @realracingclub👉 @UnicajaBanco pic.twitter.com/30UZZgUK9t
In defense, Trent Alexander-Arnold starts at right-back, taking the place of Federico Valverde, who misses the trip due to a fitness concern. Dean Huijsen partners Ibrahima Konate in central defense, while Marc Cucurella continues in his role at left-back.
Midfield Continuity and Unchanged Attack
In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni and Bernardo Silva form the double pivot, delivering a mix of defensive security and technical control. After performing strongly against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Mourinho opted for continuity by retaining the pairing. Jude Bellingham operates ahead of them in an advanced midfield role to influence proceedings between the lines.
The attacking setup remains unchanged from El Clasico. Arda Guler plays on the right, and Yan Diomande takes the left wing. Vinicius Junior remains unavailable due to suspension, giving Diomande another chance to build on his strong performance against Barcelona. Kylian Mbappe leads the attack after scoring twice in El Clasico, aiming to make Racing his 24th different scalp in La Liga. Mourinho also has bench options including Endrick, Eder Militao, and Carlos Espi.
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