Copa Surge Against League Surge in the Shadow of Another Giant

"In the Copa final, either Lunin or Courtois can play. If both are injured, Fran González will play." This reflection by Carlo Ancelotti, which many heard with amusement before the match against Real Sociedad on Tuesday, has taken on a prophetic tone just days later. The Ukrainian, with a problem in his right soleus, and the Belgian, suffering from a strain in the same leg since the last international break, are receiving intensive care ahead of the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal. This scenario paves the way for Fran González's presence this Saturday against Valencia.

The giant from León, a favourite of Luis Llopis, Real Madrid's goalkeeping coach, is vying for a spot to protect the last line of defence for a Real Madrid that cannot afford a misstep against a rising opponent to keep the title race with Barça alive. Ancelotti's men will face the surge from their Copa del Rey final qualification with the league surge of a Valencia that has yet to win away from Mestalla.

At 19, with three seasons as a Madridista under his belt, during which he has combined promising performances with Juvenil B, Juvenil A, and Castilla with first-team training and regular appearances in Ancelotti's squads, after being recruited from Cultural Leonesa's youth ranks, Fran González has a golden opportunity to confirm the high expectations the Real Madrid coaching staff have for his towering figure.

In Valdebebas, Fran González is seen as a potential heir to Courtois' gloves, idol and mirror for this goalkeeper, very powerful in aerial balls thanks to his 1.99 meters height, agile on the line, and decisive in one-on-ones, though he still has room for improvement in footwork. Ancelotti also finds similarities with another institution like Gianluigi Buffon, whom he managed at Parma and Juventus. "Total confidence in Fran. If his moment comes, we will be very happy for him because we are all convinced he has a great future," Ancelotti blessed this Friday.

In the hands of this NBA and Formula 1 enthusiast, who could become, at 19 years and 285 days, the fourth youngest goalkeeper to debut with Real Madrid, lies a team whose main flaw is in defence - they have gone seven consecutive matches without a clean sheet and have conceded 59 goals in 50 matches across all competitions - to face a challenge where Ancelotti must sift through a lineup conditioned by absences, but above all by the enormous wear and tear accumulated after a Copa semi-final against Real Sociedad resolved in extra time and the visit to Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Rüdiger and Fran García, who only played extra time in the Copa, will return to the defence, Modric points to a midfield from which a fatigued Bellingham might exit, while Mbappé's presence is certain up front, with Rodrygo and Vinicius likely to join.

The Brazilian was a standout in another volcanic visit of Real Madrid to Mestalla in the first round, which ended with a comeback by the whites with a last-minute goal by Bellingham, after Modric equalised Hugo Duro's previous goal and relieved the distress of a team that had been reduced to ten men six minutes earlier due to the red card shown to Vinicius after a clash with Dimitrievski.

That match, postponed at the time due to the storm that mourned the Valencian Community and finally held on January 3, marked Carlos Corberán's debut at the helm of Valencia. The coach from Cheste, replacing Rubén Baraja, took over a bottom-placed team with 13 points in 19 rounds and has transformed it in three months. Of the twelve league matches he has managed, he has won five, drawn four, and lost three. He has collected 18 of those 19 points in the last ten fixtures, a record only bettered by Barça, Betis, and Real Madrid.

At the Bernabéu, where Valencia hasn't won in 17 years, they arrive with the suspensions of Gayà, Foulquier, and Rioja, but with Diego López, a forward with a brief stint in Real Madrid's youth ranks, as a threat after scoring in the last four rounds. "Of course, this is our league," warned Corberán, who feels capable of facing the giant despite the fact that the black-and-whites have yet to win away in the current championship.

Real Madrid: Fran González, Lucas Vázquez, Asencio, Rüdiger, Fran García, Tchouaméni, Valverde, Modric, Rodrygo, Mbappé, and Vinicius.

Valencia: Mamardashvili, Aarons, Mosquera, Diakhaby, Tárrega, Jesús Vázquez, Almeida, Javi Guerra, Barrenechea, Diego López, and Sadiq.

Referee: Cuadra Fernández (Balearic Committee).

Time: 16:15 h.

Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu.

TV: Dazn.