Real Madrid take on Mallorca in the Spanish Super Cup, and Ancelotti has interesting questions to deal with.
Real Madrid enters its third match of 2025 and faces a third competition of the year. This Spanish Super Cup could potentially mean the third title of the season for the Ancelotti-led team. The first hurdle, however, is overcoming Mallorca in the semifinals (Thursday, January 9, 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT).
As the tournament format evolves, the starting XI for Ancelotti's men is expected to remain largely unchanged from the Valencia line-up.
The biggest uncertainty lies with the right back: will Mendy keep his place, or will Camavinga intervene? Otherwise, the line-up remains the same, including Vinicius, who narrowly avoided a heavier suspension and is eligible to play in the Super Cup.
Who will play for Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup?
Valverde is another key player to watch as he was the only member of the squad not rotated during the Copa del Rey match with Deportiva Minera. The Uruguayan midfielder has featured in all 28 of Madrid's games this season and is expected to reach 29.
Courtois returns as goalkeeper after sitting out the cup tie, while Rüdiger will once again partner Tchouaméni in central defense. Lucas Vázquez is expected to appear on the right flank. In midfield, the Valverde-Ceballos duo have cemented their place in Ancelotti's favored 4-2-3-1 formation. This formation allows Rodrygo, Bellingham and Vinicius to operate behind Mbappé, who leads the attack.
Ancelotti has brought 24 players to Saudi Arabia for the tournament, including Alaba, who has almost fully recovered, and five youth players: Fran González, Asencio, Lorenzo, Aguado and Yáñez, all of whom have already made their first-team debuts. The team also consists of Lunin, Fran García, Modrić, Güler, Brahim and Endrick. However, Super Cup rules limit the bench to 11 substitutes, meaning Ancelotti will have to leave two players out of the matchday squad.
The match between Real Madrid and Mallorca will be played on Thursday, January 9 at King Abdullah Sport City with kick-off at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT. Both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will broadcast the match, and you can watch Real Madrid vs Mallorca live on FuboTV, which offers a free trial.
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