Real Madrid takes refuge in the Bernabéu to keep the faith

Real Madrid takes refuge in the Bernabéu to keep the faith

The whites, without Vinicius. Courtois and Kroos receive bottom team Elche after triumphing in the World Cup and with the obligation not to 'stumble'

   MADRID, 14 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Real Madrid receives this Wednesday (9:00 p.m.) Elche in a duel corresponding to matchday 21 of LaLiga Santander, with the obligation not to 'puncture' and give more aid to FC Barcelona, ​​who now enjoys an 11-point advantage in the highest, in a game in which Vinicius and Thibaut Courtois will not be present, while the Elche team arrives bottom and in need, with the desire to strike to increase their belief in the miracle of salvation.

The team coached by Carlo Ancelotti has taken advantage of the Club World Cup, in which they were proclaimed champion this Saturday after beating Saudi Al Hilal (5-3), to reinforce their confidence and scare away, at least for now, doubts about the game and attitude of the last few weeks. Since the return of the competition after the World Cup, the merengue team has been below expectations, and that is that since the Clásico in mid-October at the Bernabéu (3-1), the whites have only added 13 of 16 possible points .

A bad moment of results for a Real Madrid who lived through a difficult January, and in which they received a hard blow in the Spanish Super Cup against Barça. The constant ups and downs have been protagonists in recent weeks, culminating in the unexpected defeat at Son Moix (1-0) to add a 'stumble' that could be definitive. With 17 games remaining, Real Madrid (45) looks at the Catalans (56) at 11 points, a distance that they can reduce if they win this Wednesday.

Even so, FC Barcelona has never wasted an eight-point lead in the league against the madridistas. For this reason, the whites face a major challenge, in the middle of a month of February in which a large part of their sporting future will be decided, with the first leg of the round of 16 next Tuesday against Liverpool and the Madrid derby, only four days after.

So now the Santiago Bernabéu must continue to be that ally of the white team, which has not yet lost in the white fiefdom in the League. And it is that Real Madrid has suffered at home its three league defeats this season, also weighed down by disconnections and errors in concentration in defense that they must tackle before it is too late. "We have made quite banal mistakes," Ancelotti acknowledged in the previous one against Elche, a club against which they have not lost in the League since 1977-1978.

Real Madrid will receive the green-and-green team with the confirmed casualties of the suspended Vinicius Júnior and the injured Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Eden Hazard and Toni Kroos, a last-minute absence. However, the Italian recovers Éder Militao and Lucas Vázquez, who would have a leading role in distributing the minutes of a squad that may be tired after the Club World Cup.

No major changes are expected in an eleven with Lunin in goal and a line of four in which the Galician winger and the Carioca central defender could rest Carvajal and Rüdiger. Tchouameni would start from the beginning, with Modric and Ceballos, replacing Kroos, as interiors. Benzema, who has already returned for the Club World Cup final, would be in the game again, in an attack with Valverde on the right and Rodrygo playing Vinicius.

In front will be an Elche that continues to be determined to extend its fight for permanence, when it is bottom with nine points, 12 from the goal. With no time for more 'punctures', the people from Elche must 'scratch' something positive from the Merengue fiefdom to continue with options, in a field where they already tied (2-2) on their last visit, although they have not yet been able to celebrate any victory in the Bernabeu. "Any point at the Bernabéu can be good," admitted the franjiverde coach, Pablo Machín, in the preview.

However, they face the difficult company at their best moment of the course, boosted by their most recent victory (3-1), the first of the championship, against Villarreal, after 19 games. Although his pending issue continues to be departures, with a disastrous streak of 12 games without winning away from Martínez Valero (3 draws and 9 losses). And it is that they have not won away from home in the League since April last year, with the 3-0 at Sánchez-Pizjuán as their last defeat as a visitor.

Although the bad news for Elche is that three of the starters in their first victory will not be able to be on the pitch at the Bernabéu, two due to suspension -Mascarell and Palacios- and another due to injury -Pere Milla-, in addition to the already known casualties of Collado and Chetauya. However, Machín will be able to line up Roco, Fidel, Gumbau and Boyé, until now in dry dock, and the recently signed Pape Cheikh.

REAL MADRID: Lunin; Lucas Vázquez, Militao, Nacho, Alaba; Modric, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Valverde, Benzema and Rodrygo.

ELCHE: Bay; Carmona, Magellan, Rock, Bigas, Clerk; Raul Guti, Gumbau, Fidel; Boyé and Ponce.

--REFEREE: De Burgos Bengoetxea (C.Vizcaino)

--Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.