The Real Madrid faces his impulse to the reliability 'txuri-urdin'

The Real Madrid faces his impulse to the reliability 'txuri-urdin'

The whites, full of enthusiasm after winning the cup derby, repeat at the Bernabéu in the face of Real Sociedad's positive run in the league

MADRID, 28 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Real Madrid welcomes Real Sociedad this Sunday (9:00 p.m.) with the momentum and enthusiasm that it gathered from the extra-time victory against Atlético de Madrid in the Cup quarterfinals, after a January full of doubts, while the Basques they will seek to prolong their happiness and good dynamics in the League to consolidate themselves in the 'Top 3', in a duel corresponding to matchday 19 of LaLiga Santander.

Carlo Ancelotti's pupils knew how to live on the edge of the abyss in the KO tournament, in a match in which they were always trailing until Rodrygo Goes, who came off the bench, pulled a genius out of his hat to tie and take the lead. game to extra time. The whites demonstrated their ability to adapt and suffer in a highly demanding duel, the first that the Bernabéu experienced in 2023, at a dizzying start to the year for the meringues.

This victory at home will allow the madridistas to carry their backpack of confidence and security, something touched by some doubts regarding the style and the way to face the games in this 2023. Executioner of Cacereño 'very fair'; the defeat in the League against Villarreal, to which they later returned it with a comeback in the Cup; and the defeat against Barça in the Super Cup final after a discreet semifinal was the curriculum of a Real Madrid that was down and in need of happiness.

The first, before the momentum of the derby that confirmed some improvement, came last league matchday, when they prevailed at the difficult San Mamés by 0-2. The whites completed a hard-fought match against a seasoned Athletic, one of those who have more than three points, with a character and commitment that had been lost in previous weeks. In addition, the next match against Real opens a league 'minimarathon' with Valencia and Mallorca also as rivals in eight days, before the 'Mundialito'.

This latest victory leaves them second in the LaLiga Santander table to follow, three points behind, the trail set by leader FC Barcelona; and with Real Sociedad, their rival this Sunday, three units behind the whites, although with one more game. Against the people from San Sebastian they will once again have the Bernabéu in their favor, where they remain undefeated this season with the 0-4 'Clásico' in March 2022 as their last defeat. In addition, they have only lost at home once in the last 15 direct duels in the League.

However, the successful cup derby not only left good news for Ancelotti, who will face Real with just enough. Ferland Mendy injured his right thigh and is aiming to drop, entering an infirmary where Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouaméni and David Alaba are already present, who suffered from his muscular problem. This leaves the white defense very touched, in which Antonio Rüdiger and Éder Militao would have to repeat, who continue to accumulate minutes.

Nacho would once again be on the right side, while the brilliant Eduardo Camavinga in Copa, finishing on the left side, could start in that lane. Rodrygo also ended up touched by a blow to the tibia, while Ancelotti also awaits Eden Hazard. In addition, the possible rotations would make Dani Ceballos start to give rest to a Luka Modric who played the 120 minutes of the derby.

Unlike Real Madrid, Real Sociedad could not qualify for the Copa del Rey semifinals, after losing (1-0) to FC Barcelona in the quarterfinals of a tournament they won in 2020. The Basques were not as lucid that they used to be, in addition to the fact that they had to face the expulsion of Brais Méndez in the 40th minute.

However, this small blur does not tarnish their good work in the domestic championship, in which they have gone six games without losing -5 wins and 1 draw-. This allows them to be third in the table, with 38 points, only three below Real Madrid, so a win would make them a serious candidate and an alternative to the blaugranas and whites.

And he can boast of this thanks to an attractive project with an offensive style and combinative play that gives a lot of prominence to the 'shorts'. Méndez should take the lead in a team in which Take Kubo and Mikel Oyarzabal feed Alexander Sorloth with assists. The Norwegian is the top scorer (8) for the Basques and the main offensive reference, chaining five games scoring in the League.

However, the 'txuri-urdin' team travels to the Santiago Bernabéu with the confirmed casualties of Martín Merquelanz, Umar Sadiq, Mikel Merino, David Silva, Andoni Gorosabel, Ander Barrenetxea, Ali Cho, Álex Sola, Ander Guevara and Jon Pacheco. An infirmary 'to burst' makes Imanol Alguacil's 'eleven' present unknowns, although it will not be very different from the one he presented at the Camp Nou this Wednesday.

REAL MADRID: Courtois; Nacho, Militao, Rudiger, Camavinga; Kroos, Modric, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Benzema and Vinicius.

REAL SOCIEDAD: Remiro; Elustondo, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Diego Rico; Zubimendi, Illarramendi, Brais Méndez; Kubo, Sorloth and Oyarzabal.

--REFEREE: Melero Lopez (C. Andaluz).

--Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

--TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar LaLiga.