Real Madrid Launches Final Offensive with Multiple Fronts Open

The Whites enter the decisive phase of a gruelling season hosting Leganés, who are in the relegation zone, at the Bernabéu without Courtois

Óscar Bellot

Madrid

Viernes, 28 de marzo 2025, 17:10

Once the international break was navigated without further setbacks than Courtois' muscle strain preventing him from playing this Saturday, Real Madrid launches its final offensive in a season marked by a gruelling schedule. They host Leganés at the Santiago Bernabéu, a team arriving under pressure. The Pepineros, in the relegation zone and defeated twice this season by the Whites, once in the league and once in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, will test Carlo Ancelotti's team's strength in the initial stages of a demanding climb. This climb will see the Chamartín side face a minimum of thirteen compressed matches in two months and a maximum of seventeen, on which their dream of achieving an unprecedented treble depends.

"We are in all competitions, and this increases the responsibility. Every match can be decisive in our quest to win the titles we aim for," remarked Ancelotti in the pre-match conference. Real Madrid, three points behind Barça in the table after the Blaugranas updated their accounts by defeating Osasuna on Thursday in the postponed match of the twenty-seventh round, cannot afford any mistakes. The gap, worrying but by no means insurmountable, forces the reigning champions to beat Leganés this Saturday to put pressure on Hansi Flick's troops, who will play against Girona on Sunday and cannot be complacent either.

"The league is not decided. Barcelona has an advantage, but we have to play the classic, and there are many matches left. We must do everything possible," insisted Carletto, who is excited to fight until the last breath for La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League despite the frenetic pace the team will face, culminating the season by competing for a Club World Cup that increasingly entices the Santiago Bernabéu's upper echelons.

Rotations

For Real Madrid to keep their hopes intact, it is more necessary than ever for Ancelotti to succeed with rotations, starting with a clash against Leganés where the eyebrowed man faces injuries to Carvajal, Militao, Mendy, and Ceballos, as well as the aforementioned Courtois. Additionally, the Italian must consider the extra fatigue accumulated by the sixteen players who answered their national teams' call, especially the South Americans, who returned later after an exhausting journey. Hence, Valverde and Vinicius are likely to be on a bench featuring three players from the lower categories: goalkeepers Fran González and Sergio Mestre and defender Diego Aguado.

With Lunin set in goal against his former team, serving as preparation for Tuesday's clash against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semi-final return leg, Asencio, who travelled but did not play with Spain, has a secured spot in a defence likely to include the also refreshed Lucas Vázquez and Fran García. Ancelotti's midfielders, all of whom travelled with their national teams, are more physically taxed and have very limited reserves. Up front, Brahim is expected to form part of a trident from which Vinicius might be excluded.

Leganés will also have to deal with the aftermath of international commitments, as Cissé, Tapia, and Neyou returned on Thursday with battle scars. The Cameroonian, who did not play with his national team due to physical issues, is ruled out, but the Guinean and Peruvian will push to solidify the midfield of a squad that has not managed to score in four league visits to the Bernabéu, although they did manage to conquer the White fortress seven years ago in the Copa del Rey. The team clings to that precedent and its 'giant-killer' status after defeating Barça and Atlético this season, reinforcing the defensive area and relying on Juan Cruz and Dani Raba's edge to attempt an upset.