Real Madrid aims to narrow the gap with La Liga leaders, Barcelona, as they prepare to face Racing Santander on Sunday, November 1st, at the Campos de Sport de El Sardinero in Santander.
The match comes as Racing Santander anticipates playing without their first-choice left-back, Jorge Salinas, who is suspended for accumulating five yellow cards this season. Summer signing Aarón Martín is expected to take his place in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Racing’s attack remains intact, with Moroccan striker Yassir Zabiri cleared to play after scoring eight goals in ten appearances this season.
Supported by key players like Sergio Canales and Iñigo Vicente, Racing Santander’s tactical formation aims to challenge Real Madrid’s defense, which may be weakened due to several rotations.
Real Madrid arrives at El Sardinero following a recent victory against rivals Barcelona but will be fielding a modified squad. Manager José Mourinho has opted to rest club captain Federico Valverde to allow him to recover from a minor muscle strain. However, the team welcomes back goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who returns after missing the Barcelona match due to illness.
The squad will still be missing star forward Vinícius Júnior, who is serving the third match of a four-game domestic suspension. Additionally, Rodrygo is dealing with a knee injury, defender Raúl Asencio is sidelined with a leg issue, and fullback Ferland Mendy is also unavailable for this fixture.
Current Form
Racing Santander enters this match with optimistic momentum, having secured two consecutive victories: a 2-1 win over Espanyol in La Liga and a 2-0 Copa del Rey triumph against Ribadesella. The team remains unbeaten at home this season but faces challenges with a defensive record that has seen them concede 26 goals.
On the other hand, Real Madrid boasts an impressive five-match winning streak across all competitions, highlighted by their 2-1 win over Barcelona that revitalized their title chase. During this streak, Los Blancos have scored 15 goals, further solidifying their position in La Liga.
The expected lineups for the match are as follows: Racing Santander is likely to field Agirrezabala; Mantilla, Ramon, Belocian, Felipe; Prati, I Martin; A Martin, Canales, Vicente; Zabiri. Real Madrid is expected to start with Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappe.
Fans can tune in to watch the game live in the UK on Premier Sports 2.
